


Worthless

by Myriamele_Stratton



Category: Jikook fandom, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Consensual spanking, Cutting - implied/mentioned, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Heavy Angst, M/M, Non-Consensual Spanking, Sad with a Happy Ending, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 10:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 53,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28349862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myriamele_Stratton/pseuds/Myriamele_Stratton
Summary: Through unforeseen circumstances, Jeon Jungkook becomes his girlfriend, Candice Taan's, Geometry professor.  It is said that familiarity breeds contempt...
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character(s), Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin (BTS), Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin (BTS)/Original Female Character
Kudos: 2





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction, the character of Candice is from my own imagination. Please don't steal my story. (And yes, while I realize that the story premise isn't new, nor is a lot of the action that happens, I will say that it would be almost impossible to come up with something that the thousands of other authors of BTS ffs haven't written yet... so, I hope you enjoy my story, anyway.).
> 
> There will be triggers, please don't read it if you're easily affected.
> 
> (I am using a house at 8 Lady Hill Road in Singapore as the house Jungkook and Hannah live in - because it's gorgeous... it's for sale on Sotheby's, in case anyone is interested :D) Here's the link to the Sotheby's page: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-82959-f966yp/lady-hill-bungalow-singapore-sg 
> 
> I have disabled comments on all of my works because the stories are too close to my own emotions and we all know there are people who can't live by the golden rule 'If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all'... the last thing I need when I'm feeling low is for someone to attack my writing. So, I apologize to those people who might want to comment and say something nice. Thank you for thinking it 💖
> 
> (I should also note that Geometry was one of my worst subjects in school - my brain still explodes when I try to figure the stupid proofs and theorems out, so... forgive me if I write something that doesn't make sense. I'm actually reading up on some of what I want to write, and I already have a headache... and I just started looking at the info about three seconds ago... haha... so, bear with me, please, if you're a Math major )


	2. Unhappy Birthday to me

_**Narrator's POV**_

"You guys, I really need to go, Jungkook will be waiting for me, and I'm already so late!" Candice said, laughing as she tried to get up from the café table for the umpteenth time. 

"Aish, just call him and tell him to come join us, Candi-ah!! It's your birthday; he should be here celebrating with you and your friends anyway!" Jennie said as she hung onto Candice's arm to keep her from leaving. 

"Yeah! I bet if you called and told him to come, he would be here right away – we've all seen him teleport when you call or text him where you are!!" Taehyung added as he jokingly pulled on Jennie's shoulders, pretending to help her keep Candice in her seat. 

"I can't call him, my phone died, and I forgot the charger at home! Besides, as you say, it's my birthday, he probably has dinner already made, and I want to see what he got me for my present!" Candice tried to pull her arm out of Jennie's grip again, but the other girl refused to relent. 

"Did he even wish you a happy birthday this morning?" Lisa asked skeptically. Out of the group of Candice's friends, Lisa was the least enamored of the relationship between her bestie and Jungkook. 

"No, but I know it's because he was busy grading tests last night, and he was tired and kind of mad this morning... I bet some students didn't do well." Candice smiled ruefully and looked at her friends. "I am about ninety-nine percent sure I'm one of those students... I just cannot wrap my head around those stupid Proofs and Theorems... like, who the heck cares why two plus two equals four! It just does!! And, when am I actually going to be asked that question?" 

"Oh, I don't know," Namjoon replied, "when wouldn't you need to know that any quantity is equal/congruent to itself? Which is the Reflexive Property Postulate, in case anyone is wondering." 

The table of friends groaned, and Jin smacked his boyfriend in the arm. "Joonie, no-one needs to know that unless they're a Math major. Candice is a dance major; she doesn't need to remember any of that stuff..." The dark-haired young man looked at Candice. "You do need to at least try to memorize it for a little while, though, so you can pass the class. Otherwise, your GPA will suffer... it would suck for you to work so hard and do so well in your other classes, just to have that one drag your standing down." 

Candice sighed and nodded her head. "I know... I keep hoping that somehow, I've gotten a better grade on this test, so I know I'm improving, at least... if not, I'm going to have to tell him I need a tutor." She slumped in her seat and fiddled with the last crumbs of birthday cake on her plate. 

"Why don't you tell Jungkook you don't understand the subject and ask him to help you? I'm sure he would be happy to do that," Eunwoo said as he slung his arm over Lisa's shoulders. 

"Yah, hands off, you brat!" Lisa scolded Eunwoo and pushed his arm off. She frowned at him, then looked back at Candice. 

_**Candice's POV**_

Before we get too much further, let me explain where we are and introduce myself and my friends. 

First, my name is Candice Taan and today is August thirty-first, which is my birthday. I am from Taiwan, and I haven't adopted the Korean way of addressing myself with my last name first, but I do it with my friends and other people here, and they do it with me.

I came to Seoul on a scholarship to study dance with one of the best dancers in Southeast Asia, Park Jimin. I am incredibly lucky, as he is a Principal Dancer with the Seoul Dance Company, and he doesn't teach regular dance classes – his are specialized and include only a few students at a time, handpicked by him. Also, the students who study with him are allowed to practice with the Company when they are preparing for their performances. We don't perform on stage, but the experience is vital for our future endeavors. Personally, I hope to be picked to stay with them, but we'll see. 

Anyway, I am currently at a café near the Korea National University of Arts with my friends I met when I started attending college here two years ago. A couple of our friends weren't able to make it tonight, but we plan to have a huge party tomorrow for Jungkook's birthday, and they'll be there. The friends who I'm currently with are Kim Jennie, Kim Taehyung, Kim Seokjin (Jin), Kim Namjoon, Lalisa Manoban (Lisa), and Lee Dongmin (Eunwoo). Don't ask me how Dongmin got the nickname Eunwoo; I have no idea, but I think it's adorable. Oh, and none of the Kim's are related... Kim is sort of like the surname Chen in Taiwan – a lot of people have it, but most of them aren't related to each other. 

Also, Eunwoo has been trying to get Lisa to go out with him since I met them, and I know she likes him (she hasn't admitted it, but it's so obvious), but she keeps pretending she thinks he's creepy. I think one of these days; they're going to be married and end up having a boatload of kids. She hits me whenever I tell her that. Hahaha. 

Jennie and Taehyung are sort of dating; they haven't really decided yet, but I don't think it will be long before they make it official, and Jin and Joon have been together for a long time. They're older than the rest of us by a couple of years, which makes them the same age as Jungkook and Jimin. Jungkook is pretty young to be a professor, but he studied super hard and graduated early from high school and college, and now he teaches Geometry at my university. Math is my most unfavorite subject. Well, actually, math is okay, I did really well in Algebra, but Geometry... nope, not a bit of it. 

Oh, and he wasn't supposed to be my Geometry professor, but the lady who was supposed to teach the class this semester moved to Australia with her husband right after the class schedules had been published. Jungkook was going to be an assistant Professor for another class, but since this position opened up, they gave it to him, and I'd already signed up for my classes by the time we found out. I could have asked for a transfer, but the only open course was one that conflicted with my dance class schedule, so... Jeon Jungkook, my boyfriend, is my Geometry teacher... yippee... 

I should mention that while relationships between Professors and students aren't encouraged, they aren't forbidden, and since Jungkook and I aren't all touchy-feely on campus, even when we're walking to and from the car park, the university heads look the other way. We've lived together for almost a year now. 

My friends know we're together, mostly because we all hang out together on the weekends at his big, fancy house... well, 'our' big, fancy house... his family has money, and he doesn't feel the need to pretend they don't... and none of my friends take advantage of the wealth aspect, which is fantastic. His friends know about us too, and he says they're all jealous of him and Jimin because I'm so adorable. Haha. I know he tells me that to make me blush, and it works every time. (Oh, incidentally, Jimin is Jungkook's best friend and my and Jungkook's lover.) 

Anyway, our friends know about us, but we don't broadcast it, so most of the students in the class don't know, which is fine. Except for the fangirls who drool over Jungkook the whole time he's teaching. Bleh. He thinks it's funny when I get jealous, and I try really hard not to, because he never gives me any reason to be, but still... I want to punch those girls who go up there and lean over so he can look down their shirts or sit in the front row and flash their panties at him. He just rolls his eyes and ignores it... then usually takes me to his office for lunch, locks the door, and kisses me until I'm breathless. 

I'll talk more about me, Jungkook, and Jimin later... for now, let's get back to the current story... 

_**Narrator's POV**_

Everybody laughed at Eunwoo and Lisa's antics, and Jennie finally let go of Candice's arm. 

"Okay, fine, abandon us on your birthday, see if we care, hmph!" The girl said, pretending to pout. 

"Haha, you're so cute when you do that, Jen," Candice said as she reached over and hugged her friend. "And I'm sorry for abandoning you, but I know Jungkook is going to be worried since I haven't let him know where I was – I am totally blaming you guys for kidnapping me! I will see you guys tomorrow, though, right?! I am so excited; I know he doesn't know anything, he's going to be so surprised!!" 

"He's going to love it, Candice! I bet you're going to get 'you know what' when you guys get home tomorrow night!" Tae said, then wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Aish, you pervert!" Candice said as she reached around Jennie and punched Tae's arm gently while the rest of the group laughed. "I hope you're right!!" she whisper-yelled, and everyone laughed harder. "Okay, I'm going... I'll talk to you guys tomorrow!! Love you!!!" She stood up from her chair, walked around the table to hug everyone, thanked them for the gifts, then took her party bags, and left to catch the bus for home. 

Normally, she'd ride to and from school with Jungkook on the days when their schedules coincided, but on Fridays, she usually stayed a little later to hang out with her friends a bit. However, she was usually home much sooner, and she was hoping Jungkook wasn't too upset with her.

_**Time Skip - fifteen minutes later** _

"Come on, Candice, pick up..." Jungkook said to himself as he listened to the phone ring while he waited for his girlfriend to answer the call. It went to voice mail again, and he hung up, then frowned as he glanced at the time. "Shit, she's usually home earlier than this; I hope nothing happened... why isn't she answering my calls or texts?? I wonder if I should call one of her friends..." The dark-haired young man sighed. "No, because then she'll feel like I'm keeping tabs on her, and I don't want to do that... maybe they're just watching a movie or something..." He set his phone down and turned on the TV to try to distract himself, but just then, the front door opened. 

"Candice?" He called as he stood up from the couch. "I'm in the living room." 

The house's entrance foyer wasn't visible from the living room, so Jungkook didn't see the bags that Candice set down when she took off her shoes, but he could hear the rustling and assumed she'd been shopping at the mall with her friends. He could hear her bare feet pattering on the tile floor as she hurried to meet him. 

"Jungkookie!" Candice exclaimed as she ran to him, then wrapped her arms around his waist, rested her chin in the center of his chest, and smiled happily. "I missed you!" 

Jungkook automatically hugged her back but then grabbed her arms gently and pushed her away. "Where were you?" 

"I was with my friends at the café near campus." Candice lifted her hands and rested them on his shoulders as she looked up at him with a sweet smile curving her full lips. "Oh! I'm sorry if you tried to call me, my phone is dead, and I forgot my charger! I hope you weren't too worried." 

"I was worried, yes, but I would have called one of your friends if you hadn't come home soon." Jungkook pushed her away a little further and looked at her sternly. "You should have asked one of them to loan you their phone, so you could at least let me know where you were." 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Aish, this girl, she's going to be the death of me. 'I hope you weren't too worried,' she said... hell, yes, I was worried, it's almost three hours later than you usually come home! 

Then again, she is an adult, and she doesn't need to check in with me when she's out with her friends... but it would just be common courtesy, especially since she knows I'd be here wondering where she was... 

And she didn't tell me she was shopping, but I heard the sound of the bags... why would she lie to me about that? I wonder if she's hiding it because she bought something she shouldn't have and needs to ask me for more money... No, Jungkook, you can't let that distract you; you have to talk to her about her grade on her Geometry test. 

"I know," Candice replied, then batted her big green eyes at me while trying to get close to hug me again. "And I'm sorry, but I lost track of time, and we were cele..." 

I held her at arm's length and cut off her words. "It doesn't matter why you didn't; you're home now. And I need to talk to you about something important. Sit down." I let go of her arms and pointed at the couch. 

"Um, okay..." she said, frowning slightly, but she sat and looked up at me with an expectant expression on her face. 

I started to pace back and forth while crossing my arms over my chest, making sure not to look at her because I knew if I did, I'd cave in and take her to bed. She's perfect, and all I ever want to do is touch her. But I have to make myself ignore that right now because this is serious. 

"Candice, I graded your Geometry test last night." 

"Oh..." she replied quietly. I cast a glance toward her, and she was looking down at her hands. I suddenly realized she was wearing the cute little blue and white striped dress that I'd purchased for her a couple of weeks ago, and she looked freaking adorable. Goddammit. Okay, Jungkook, get your head together. 

"Yes, 'Oh,'" I replied. "You barely passed, and that was only because I managed to find one place in one of your answers where I could give you an extra point... otherwise, you would have failed entirely." I sighed in frustration and ran my hand through my hair, an unconscious gesture that I'd picked up from Jimin. "Candice... you do so well in your other classes, and I think I know why you're having so much trouble in this one..." 

_**Candice's POV**_

I can tell Kookie is trying to keep his cool because he's pacing and just brushed his fingers through his hair... and he won't look at me. Shit. Oh well, maybe I should tell him that I need help... except he is so rude to the students who tell him they don't understand... well, not all of the students, but the girls. If boys go up, he's perfectly fine with them. I'm afraid to say anything because I don't want to be scolded. But he just said he thinks he knows, so maybe he won't yell at me if he says it, and I admit it... 

"You do?" I asked, hesitantly, while I absently smoothed the skirt of my dress. Jungkook bought it for me when we were shopping before classes started again; he said the blue complements my green eyes and blonde hair. (Yes, I know, I'm Taiwanese, but yes, I have green eyes and blonde hair, and they're natural – my Dad's family came from Iceland. Maybe I'll tell you the story about how my Icelandic Dad met my Taiwanese Mom, and they got married and had me... we'll see... it's still hard for me to talk too much about them...) 

"Yes," Jungkook replied, then turned and looked directly at me, causing a chill to go up my spine. He was definitely pissed, and when he spoke again, his voice was the deep growl I've come to associate with me being in big trouble. Uh oh. "I think that since you and I are in a relationship, you believe you don't have to do the classwork because you think I'll automatically give you good grades on your tests." 

It took me a few seconds to realize what he'd just said because when he's like this, my flight response kicks in, and I was struggling to keep myself from running to my room and locking the door. "Uh... what? No, that's not..." I started to reply, but he cut me off. 

"I think you spend your time in class texting with your friends on your phone – I've seen you doing it, and even though I've called you out on it, you still do it!! And it needs to stop!! You need to start paying attention in my class and bring your grade up to the level it should be!! I know you can do better; I've seen your grades in your other classes, for god's sake!!!!" 

Uh oh, he was getting even more pissed now; I have to try to defuse this situation quick. "No, Jungkook, we don't..." I started to say, but he cut me off again. 

"And I know you were lying about where you were tonight because I could hear the rustling of the bags you brought home and left in the foyer! Granted, they're probably birthday gifts for me, but regardless, you should have just told me the truth! And I don't believe your phone is dead; I think you decided not to answer me, so you wouldn't have to admit where you were!!" 

Wait; what?? What the hell is he talking about? Why the hell would I lie about going shopping? And my phone??? What the fuck????? I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off again. 

"I know that you spend more time posting photos and videos on social media, and texting your friends, then you do studying, and that ends tonight!!!." Jungkook snarled. 

By now, he was furious, and I was so confused about how he'd gone from calm to raging so quickly. "Kookie, I..." 

Every time I started to talk, he stopped me before I could get more than a couple of words out, and I'd had enough, especially since he was working himself into a tizzy. 

"GODDAMMIT, JEON JUNGKOOK, LET ME TALK!" I yelled, then stood up, placed my hands on my hips, and scowled at him. "YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER, AND YOU DON'T GET TO YELL AT ME LIKE A PARENT SCOLDING A NAUGHTY CHILD!!! I AM NOT A CHILD AND I DON'T LIKE YOU TREATING ME LIKE ONE!!! I WASN'T SHOPPING, I WAS AT THE CAFE LIKE I SAID, AND MY PHONE DIED, AND I FORGOT MY CHARGER!!! AND WHY YOU'D THINK I'D TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU'RE WRONG!! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF USING YOU LIKE THAT??!!! AND I DO MY FUCKING HOMEWORK EVERY NIGHT!!!" 

I should probably mention that Jungkook and I arguing isn't necessarily uncommon, although we rarely get to this stage. And, for the most part, it's my fault when we do fight because I tend to be a Drama Queen. And usually, when we start arguing about some stupid thing I got mad about, we end up in bed afterward, with me covered in kisses and blissed out. After I fling curse words at my gorgeous boyfriend, then lead him on a chase around the house, before he finally catches me, throws me over his shoulder, and takes me to his room. 

It's kind of become a ritual, and neither of us takes what is said to heart – mostly because we don't actually insult each other... I mean, I call him a big jerk or a meanie or, at the worse, an asshole (which is super rare, because he really isn't), and he calls me a brat or a bad girl, but the curse words I use are usually just because he hates it when I cuss, so I'll start spouting them out because I know it frustrates him. And the running thing... well, I learned that from having a big mouth at school growing up, and taunting the bullies, then running. (I learned to fight when they did catch me, but it's kind of amazing that I'm still alive, after all that). Hah. 

Anyway, so my flight response was starting to kick in, and I was just about ready to start cussing at him more, except now I was absolutely going to tell him he's an asshole, but he shocked me so much by what he did next; I didn't have the time to flee. 

"YOU THINK I'M TREATING YOU LIKE A NAUGHTY CHILD???" He stepped toward me, grabbed me by the wrist, sat down on the couch, and dragged me over his lap. "NO, THIS IS HOW I TREAT A BAD GIRL WHEN SHE'S BEEN NAUGHTY!!" He yanked my dress up to my waist, pulled down my panties, and started spanking me! Fuck, he spanks hard! And he doesn't scold when he does it; he just spanks. I know, because he's spanked me before, although usually he's not pissed off, and usually I like it. Now? Nope.


	3. Until you pass the test

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Typically when I have Candice over my lap for a spanking, it's because she's asked for one or let me know in some way that she wants it. In this instance, she definitely didn't, and I didn't care; she needed to learn not to lie to me and not to misuse our relationship. This was for her own good. I smacked her beautiful bottom until she was kicking and screaming, and her sweet cheeks were dark red, then I stood up while holding her arm and pulled her with me. Once I made sure she was standing on her feet and wouldn't fall, I let go of her arm and stepped back. 

Her dress fell back down, but I could still see her white lace panties around her thighs, and as she stood there sobbing, they slid down her legs to her ankles. Fuck. I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her and soothe her, and... ugh, no Jungkook, you need to follow through with this, you need to be cold to her until she does better; otherwise, she might lose her scholarship. She has to carry a 4.0 GPA to keep the funding. Granted, I could pay for her to attend school if she lost it, but she's very proud and doesn't want me to support her financially. At least she lets me give her a monthly allowance, so she doesn't have to work to earn money, but believe me, that was a fight to get her to agree to that. 

I took a deep breath, crossed my arms over my chest again, then frowned at her, hardening my heart when I saw the tears streaming down her face and her hands gently patting her sore backside through her dress. "Bad girls who don't do their homework and lie to their boyfriends go to their bedroom without dinner! And, to make sure you pass your next test, you will come home directly after school for the next four weeks; you will put your phone on the table next to the front door, and it will stay there until you leave for school the next morning, and you will go to your room to study immediately after you eat. You will spend weekends at home studying, there will be no calls or texts with your friends, and your grade had best improve, or you will be even sorrier than you are now! Now, go to your room and get started!!!" 

_**Candice's POV**_

Well, this wasn't how I expected this evening to turn out. Not only did my boyfriend just accuse me of things I didn't do and spank me hard for it, but he is grounding me like a teenager. And he forgot my birthday. And, his birthday is tomorrow, and I have this colossal bash planned, and I won't even be able to go. And our first anniversary is in two weeks. Maybe he'll calm down when we're cuddling in bed tonight, and I can talk to him about that stuff, and he'll listen to me when I tell him I need help with the class. 

We usually sleep together, but I have a separate bedroom since I prefer to sleep by myself when I have my monthly visitor, because I turn into a bitch from hell for a couple of days, and I hate being like that to him. He's usually super sweet, so seeing him like this right now is awful. Like I said, I've never seen him this angry... and it's all over things he is wrong about, and he won't let me explain. But I just have to give him a little time, and then it'll be okay. 

I stopped patting my sore cheeks and wiped at my tears, then looked at him. He still looks furious, but I have to try to get him to start calming down. "Can I... can I still come... come sleep with... with you, Kookie?" I was trying not to stutter, but my breath was hitching with my sobs... fuck, my ass hurts. I started walking toward him because he always hugs me and tells me he loves me after a spanking, but he held his hand out and stopped me. 

"No." 

I blinked, not entirely sure I'd heard him correctly. "What? But, Kookie-ah, why not?" 

He kept that cold, angry look on his face, and his voice was emotionless when he replied. "Because I said no. And until your grade improves, you will call me Mr. Jeon. Is that understood?" 

I couldn't help it, my jaw dropped open, and I stared at him for a long minute. And he didn't budge or smile or soften, even a tiny bit. "O-Okay, M-M-Mr. J-J-J-Jeon... I-I-I under... understand..." I gasped. 

"Good. Now pull up your panties and go to your room. And stop with the crocodile tears; it won't work this time." 

Before I could say anything else or even blink, he turned on his heel and walked out of the living room onto the outside deck, without another glance my way. 

I bent down, grabbed my underpants from where they'd fallen at my ankles, then pulled them up, hissing breath through my teeth as the lace rubbed over my aching butt. I turned around and walked out of the room, up the stairs, and to my room, then shut and locked the door before throwing myself on my bed and sobbing my heart out until I fell asleep. 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Stay strong, man; you have to stay strong and make her understand she can't manipulate you and your relationship just to get out of doing the work in your class. Yes, your birthday is tomorrow, and you know she wanted to spend it with you, and it's unfortunate it fell that way, but she just has to learn that she will lose privileges if she doesn't do her work. I want to go to her, but I know I shouldn't. I need to allow her to prove she can do the classwork if she isn't screwing around. 

I sat on one of the deck chairs and stared at the pool until there was no illumination left in the sky, then turned around to walk back into the house. As I did, I realized I'd not turned any lights on when I'd come out because it had still been bright enough to see. "Great, Jungkook, you idiot... let's see if you can manage to find the light switch without tripping over anything..." I only banged into one side table before I found the lamp and turned it on, then sat down to watch a movie. "Goodnight, Candi-ah," I said quietly as I thought about my beautiful girlfriend, who was undoubtedly hurt and crying, but I had to keep myself focused. Four weeks. Just four weeks, then she'll get a good grade, and I'll hold her and make love to her and remind her of why I fell in love with her in the first place. 

_**Narrator's POV**_

Candice woke up after midnight, a sob muffled on the back of her hand when she remembered what had taken place earlier. She moved to get off the bed and gasped when her sore bottom compressed against the mattress, more tears slipping down her cheeks while she changed into her pajamas, then washed her face and brushed her teeth. She'd always thought it was a bit much for every bedroom in the house to have its own bathroom. Still, now she was grateful, as she was able to take care of her needs without having to go to Jungkook's room or use the restroom in the hall, and once she'd finished getting ready for bed, she snuck out of her room and toward the railing that overlooked the living room. 

She and Jungkook's rooms were on the third floor of the house, and both the second and third levels had openings that allowed a view of the living room on the first floor. She snuck up to the glass and peeked over, somewhat surprised when she didn't see him sitting on the couch, as he was usually awake until late. But, all of the lights were off, and there was no sound wafting up from anywhere below. 

She then slipped down the hallway toward his bedroom and very, very carefully opened his bedroom door, then peered around it toward the bed. She could vaguely see what she thought was the shape of his body on the bed in the dark, and for a moment she wondered if she imagined it, but then she heard one of his snores, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief, as she'd had the sudden notion that he would appear behind her while she spied on his room. 

She closed the door carefully, then hurried down the steps to the first floor, grabbed all the bags with the gifts from her friends and her backpack, then hurried back up the stairs to her room. Closing the door quietly behind her, she locked it, placed all the bags in her closet, opened her backpack, and took out her phone. She quickly plugged it into the charger, and as soon as it had enough battery to turn on, she texted Jennie. 

Candice: Are you awake? 

Jennie: What time is it? Why are you texting me so late? Is everything okay??!! 

Candice: Sorry, sorry... um... no, it's not... uh... I won't be able to go to Jungkook's party tomorrow... so... I won't be able to get him to take me out, and he won't be there either... 

Jennie: WHAT??!!! You're the one who planned the whole thing; what do you mean you won't be able to go???? 

Candice: Well... apparently, I barely passed my exam, and... I'm grounded until the next one... 

Jennie: (blink) Um... what? 

Candice: I'm grounded. 

Jennie: What the fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're not a teenager, and Jungkook isn't your Dad... so how the hell does he get to ground you??? 

Candice: (sigh) I know... it's... it's complicated, and I don't want to go into all of it, but... regardless, I won't be there tomorrow night... so I wondered if you would make sure everything is fun... and... don't tell Lisa... 

Jennie: WHAT??!! Now you're just being ridiculous; how the hell am I not supposed to tell Lisa?? Don't you think she's going to notice that you aren't at the party? Not to mention that Jungkook, who the party is for, won't be there??? What am I supposed to say?? 

Candice: Uh... okay, okay, I'll... hang on a sec, I'll add everyone to a group text, we'll see who's awake... 

Lisa, Taehyung, Jin, Joon, Hobi, Momo, and Yoongi join the chat 

Jennie: Okay, Candice, now explain... 

Lisa: Explain what? 

Candice: Uh... I can't go to the party tomorrow night. 

Everyone: WHAT????? 

Lisa: What the hell, Candice, you're the one who planned it!!!! 

Candice: I know, I know, but... well, I did poorly on that Geometry test, and I have to stay home and study... and Jungkook's pissed off, so there's no way he'll take me out tomorrow, even if it is his birthday... so... you guys are going to have to have fun without us there... and tell Jimin when he shows up. 

Lisa: Tell him what??? 

Candice: That... uh... well, I guess, tell him Jungkook and I had a fight, and we're not talking to each other, cuz... well, that's kind of the truth... sort of... and ask him not to say anything to Jungkook about the party or about the fight, okay?

Lisa: That bastard Jungkook, I'll cut him!!! 

Candice: NO! Don't any of you say anything to him; I'm not even supposed to be on my phone right now... I can't use it for the next month, except at school, and not for texting or talking to you guys! 

Everyone: …

Candice: I know... I'm pretty much grounded until the next test... I know it's stupid and I'm not a child, but it's complicated... and I want to prove to him that I can do it without his help, since... well, since he wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him I didn't understand it... so... once the next test is done and I get a good grade, then I'll say to him what a shit he was... and that he forgot my birthday... 

Everyone: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How the fuck could he forget your birthday!!!!!! 

Candice: Yeah, I uh... don't really know... anyway, I gotta go; I'll see you guys at school on Monday, have fun tomorrow night! Have some drinks for me! 

Lisa: I'm going to beat the shit out of him if he doesn't fucking fix this!!!

Everyone: Fine... love you, see you on Monday...

Candice sniffled and wiped her eyes, then quietly went back downstairs and left her phone on the table in the foyer. 

And so began the long days that led to her losing herself. 

The first day – Jungkook's birthday – she spent all day studying. He'd left the house before she'd awakened, and when she went downstairs to make breakfast, she'd lost her appetite when she'd found a note from him in the kitchen that said, "Gone for the day, don't even think about leaving the house, talking on the phone, or watching TV. Study." He hadn't signed it with an I love you, and her heart clenched. At the end of the night, after she'd heard him come home but he hadn't come to say goodnight, she'd come no closer to understanding the subject, and she finally decided she needed to sleep. 

That was the night she began the notebook. 

Every day thereafter was more of the same. If it was a weekend, he was gone from the house before she woke up and back late at night, so they didn't see each other at all. During the week, she would hurry to the kitchen and make his breakfast, then rush back to her room so that he could eat without her there, and she'd cook dinner as soon as she'd arrive home from school, so he could heat it up when he got home. He'd leave for school before she did, so she'd have to hurry and catch the bus in order not to be late, and in the afternoon, he'd stay in his office at the university so she'd have to ride the bus home, as well. When she'd come in the house, and he was home, he'd be in his study with the door closed, and she couldn't find the courage to knock and speak to him. 

She had Geometry class on Tuesday and Thursday, and after the first two classes, when he avoided looking at or speaking to her directly, she began sitting in the farthest corner from him that she could get. Since the number of students in her class was large (it had grown exponentially after the first week of class, and the majority of the new students were girls who were enamored of the handsome math professor), they were in an auditorium-like classroom, so she was far enough away from him that he couldn't see her clearly. It frustrated him, but he couldn't very well make her sit closer to him since she wasn't being disruptive or doing anything else to warrant his attention, so he just sighed and tried to keep an eye on her. 

Unfortunately, his cold treatment had far-reaching effects, many of which he wouldn't have expected, nor would he have wished. Candice stopped eating regular meals, as her appetite was nearly non-existent due to her anxiety about doing well. The two of them had been eating lunch in his office at the campus since they first started dating; however, the Monday after her punishment, she'd come to his office to eat with him, and he'd sent her away, believing that any affection he showed her would make her try to convince him to let her pass without doing the work. He'd also forbidden her from calling or texting him during the day, as she'd been doing since they'd started dating, and after the first week, she left her phone on the little table in the foyer all the time, not even checking to see if it was charged again. 

She slept very little, forcing herself to stay awake by drinking more coffee than was healthy, and eventually by taking a little pill that someone had given her every day that helped her stay focused. Well, she thought it helped her focus, but in reality, it just made her more aware of what she thought were her shortcomings. Because no matter how hard she tried, she could not understand the subject. 

She was afraid to ask questions in class, and she avoided her friends, knowing they'd see what was happening to her, and become concerned, so even if she would have asked Namjoon for his help, she didn't. 

On the day of their anniversary, two weeks after his birthday, she had a little pretend celebration at home while he was gone. She'd cut an apple and drizzled a tiny bit of caramel syrup on it, then taken one of the gifts he'd given her during the year they'd been together, wrapped it in a bit of tissue paper and placed it in a box, then wrapped the box and pretended it was a surprise from him. She'd not been able to eat more than two wedges of the apple and had barely managed a glass of water before she'd broken down and gone back to her room, where she spent the rest of the day fighting with the problem she'd been working on, and getting no closer to understanding it.


	4. Happy Anniversary, Candi...

_**Narrator's POV** _

Finally, it was the night before the test, and she knew she would fail miserably. She heard Jungkook pass her room as he walked to his bedroom to sleep, then waited for another thirty minutes before she hurried down the stairs, retrieved her phone, and took it back to her room. She plugged it in and let it charge while she prepared herself, and then she went in her closet, set the lights and the phone to take a video, and began recording. 

"Hi, Sweeties! It's me, your favorite Candi! I know I haven't posted anything in a while, and I'm sorry, but things got crazy hectic around here, and I didn't have the time. But now, I have to say goodbye, so I wanted to do this last video, so you all would know how much I love you and am grateful for all of your sweet and loving comments. I always thought it was so cool that I didn't get a lot of hate, and I really appreciate that." 

Candice was a popular YouTuber, and her followers dubbed themselves 'Candi's Sweeties' because she'd commented one time about Jungkook telling her she was sweet like candy. He had seen her videos and thought they were adorable. He'd forbidden her from posting anything during her grounding, but he had expected she would start again once her punishment was over. And, here she was, although he didn't know it yet. 

"Okay, so... this is going to be kind of hard for me to do, because I'm really sad, but... but I'm going to do my best to make sure you can understand what I'm saying..." She started to cry and sniffled, then blinked and offered a tiny little smile to the camera as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "Um... so, like I said, I'm saying goodbye... because I'm going away and I won't be able to make videos anymore. I mean... you can't really do things like this where I'm going... or if you can, I don't know about it yet. And I guess I should probably stop hedging because, by the time anyone sees this, it will be too late anyway, but when I say I'm going away, I mean... well, I'm going to die... uh... not because of cancer or anything like that. No, see, I'm going to go somewhere and... yeah... I don't know how I'm going to do it yet, but... I'm going to make me disappear." 

She covered her face with her hands for a long moment, her shoulders shaking as she fought to keep as much control as she could, then lifted her head and wiped her tears. "Anyway, so the reason is that tomorrow morning, my boyfriend will finally figure out how stupid I am. See, I suck at this one class, and I tried really hard to understand it, but... but I just can't. And it's too late to ask for help because tomorrow is my deadline. And I was trying so hard to understand this one class that I slacked off in my others, and I failed all of the tests this week... and usually, I get A's... so, yeah, I lost my scholarship because my GPA will drop. And I won't be able to study dance anymore because that's what the scholarship was for." 

"And the longer I think about it, the more I realize that this whole month, when I was supposed to be studying so I'd pass the test, what he was really trying to say was that he wanted me to go away, but he couldn't figure out how, and I was too dumb to know that's what this all was. He knew I wouldn't be able to understand the subject, and... and he finally just gave up trying to find any reason to want me around. See, and I know that, cuz we haven't even talked to each other for the past month. I've seen him from a distance, but... even though we live together, it's like we don't. So... I'm going to stop being a dipshit and... I'm going to go somewhere where I won't waste any more space or contaminate anyone's life. No-one will have to see my ugly face or hear my whiny voice. And I'm really, really sorry that all of you have had to put up with me. I... I am so surprised that there weren't more hate comments because who wouldn't hate me? I'm more shocked that there were so many nice comments." 

"You know... my boyfriend said I was lying and using him... but I wasn't. I never lied, and I would never use anyone, but... it doesn't matter anyway... So... To my boyfriend... I'm sorry for wasting your time and ruining the last year and a half of your life. To you, my Sweeties... I'm sorry that I lied to you all and made you think I was a good person. I don't think someone can be a good person when someone they love thinks they're so hideous. I mean, there is always a grain of truth, isn't there? Heh, I'm starting to forget what I wanted to say." 

Candice sighed softly and looked down at her lap, then lifted her head again and smiled that devastated little smile before speaking again. "I... I don't think I ever told anyone, but I cut myself... like, I've been doing it for years. I'd always try to make it look like I scratched myself on something, and I tried not to do it as much since I met my boyfriend... but... I started doing it a lot again when all of this happened... and see, this time, I did it so when they find my body, they won't wonder why I'm dead... or why no-one will speak up when they ask for someone to identify me. Here, I'll show you..." 

She was wearing a green silk robe, and she very carefully slipped one arm out of the sleeve, then turned her arm, so the inner part was visible. "Fucking bitch," she said as she looked at her arm. She tucked her arm back in, then pulled out the other. "Stupid cunt." Each time she revealed another part of her body where she'd carved the words, she made sure to keep her private areas fully covered, and when she was done, she'd showed the rest of the words and was wearing her robe again as though nothing had happened. "Fucking bitch, stupid cunt, worthless, useless, crybaby, piece of shit, waste of space... they're the words I've been chanting to myself since the third day this started when I understood how stupid I really am. How grateful everyone will be when I'm gone. Like, how could anyone want to be near me?" 

"And see... I knew all of the words were true because he forgot my birthday... well, he probably remembered, but he chose to ignore it. I'll never know, but... that was the first day when all of this started. And the next day was his birthday, but I wasn't allowed to spend it with him." She smiled brokenly and lowered her gaze to look at her hands, then whispered, "I saved my allowance for six months, and paid to have a huge surprise party for him... he just turned twenty-five, which is a milestone, you know... so, first I was going to convince him to take me out, and I'd drive, and we'd go to this super exclusive restaurant and have this amazingly romantic dinner, and then we'd go to this club where I'd rented a VIP room, and all our friends would be there, and we could dance and do karaoke and get drunk and have fun... but... that didn't happen, because I wasn't allowed to go anywhere..." 

"And I couldn't get the money back, because it was too late to call and cancel... but... but I know he would have been disgusted to have to spend his birthday with me, anyway, so... I guess it worked out the way it was supposed to... and... and our one-year anniversary was two weeks later, but he forgot that too... although I imagine he didn't really forget, he just didn't care." Candice looked directly into the camera and blinked, sending two diamond teardrops down her cheeks while she continued to hold that broken smile on her face. "I celebrated, though..." She lifted her arm and showed the camera the piece of jewelry around her wrist. "I took this beautiful bracelet that he gave me a few months ago, and I wrapped it like it was a present he was giving me for our anniversary... and I opened it and said 'Happy Anniversary, Candi', and I tried to imitate his voice... hahaha... what a fucking idiot I am... how could I ever think that someone as perfect as him could even think about being friends with someone as horrid as me, let alone love me? And he told me I only cry crocodile tears, so I know he thinks I'm just a crybaby, and my feelings mean nothing to him." 

"Anyway... so I wanted to say goodbye, so no-one looked for my videos anymore. I'm not going to delete the channel, and I don't know if it will go away eventually or not, but... I figured I'd leave it out there if anybody wants to come by and say how worthless and shitty I was. I do hope you all find peace and happiness and that you find love. I thought I had, but I was just lying to myself. How could anyone love me, especially him? And now, I have nothing and no-one. So... Stay healthy, Candi's Sweeties... I love you all, and I hope knowing I loved you doesn't ruin your day." She lifted one of her hands and waved slightly, then said, "Bye-bye..." 

She reached out, turned off the phone, then lay down on the floor of her closet, and cried softly, too tired to sob any longer. 

_**Candice's POV - The next morning** _

That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe now that I've admitted that I meant nothing to Jungkook, it made it easier. I mean... how could someone love you and act like you don't exist, even when you live in the same house? So, yeah... I guess I was just telling everyone what they already know. 

Well, it's the day of the test, and... I know how this will end. I'm not even sure why I'm bothering to go to school since I'll just fail, and Jungkook will hate me worse. But I've spent all this time preparing for this, so I might as well go, so he can have the final chance to tell me what a useless piece of garbage I am. 

Now, here I sit, waiting for Jungkook to bring my test back to me. It wasn't that hard of a test – at least, not for the majority of the students, since they were done with it in less than twenty minutes... me, I stared at that piece of paper for an hour, which was the full time allotted to us to take it. I couldn't come up with a plausible answer to any of the questions... so... I doodled. Jungkook is going to be so pissed, but... I don't care. Actually, he probably won't be mad. He probably expected it, and he'll just be glad this is all over, so he can get on with his life without me in it. 

I wonder if he'll be confused about the drops of water on the paper that smeared some of what I drew... I couldn't stop crying... I don't know why; I mean, it's not like I didn't know all of this was coming. I wonder if he'll even notice the words on my legs. I doubt it; he hasn't looked at me for more than three seconds since he walked in today. I don't think anyone would bother to notice... except my friends... which is why I am altogether avoiding them. Even if he figures out what the drops are or sees the words, he won't care. I don't blame him. 

He's passing the grades out... he's totally flirting with those other girls, look at him smiling and laughing... they're all so beautiful and vibrant, not like me, dull and dim. Uh oh, he's coming this way, and if looks could kill... 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

You have got to fucking be kidding me. After that whole fucking month of me forcing myself not to talk to her or touch her or even see her more than with sideward glances in class, she fucking doodled all over the fucking test sheet. DOODLED!!! If she thinks her ass was sore after I spanked her, wait until after she meets my fucking paddle... I am so fucking pissed at her right now. What the fuck was she thinking?! What the fuck has she been doing for the past four weeks??? 

I stalked over to where she sat and slammed her test on top of her desk, scaring the bejesus out of her and startling a couple of the students sitting nearby. "Come to my office after class, Miss Taan." 

She nodded her head, refusing to look at me. I wanted to grab her chin and force her to face me, but I'll do that when there isn't anyone else around to witness it. Goddammit. 

_**Candice's POV**_

Well, I failed the test. Big Fat F. Not like I expected any different – I wasn't kidding when I said I'd doodled all over the paper. I didn't even attempt to answer any of the questions. 

Let me explain what it's like when I look at Geometry questions. It's like... my brain forgets how to think. I can't tell you how frustrating that is for me. I have no trouble in any of my other classes. Hell, even Chemistry was easy. Well, at first, it wasn't, but my lab partner tutored me, and somehow, he got me to understand it. This is basically what I needed for Geometry, but... heh, we all see how that went. Geometry is to me like reading a legal document is to other people. Me, I have no trouble with legal documents. I have trouble with Geometry. And now, I've fucked up my whole life because of it. 

Well, it won't be too much longer before that doesn't matter anymore. 

So, now I just have to gather the courage to actually get myself to Jungkook's office, listen to him scream at me for being such a stupid cunt, then go quietly away where I can't fuck up his or anyone else's life anymore. 

Oh, and in case you're wondering, my friends don't know about any of this. I mean, they know I was grounded, and I did see them during the week at campus, a little bit, but... but I never told them any of what I said on the video. They don't know how much money I spent on Jungkook's birthday or that he hates me. How could you be a professor and not hate someone who was a complete dumbass? Anyway, so my friends know that things haven't been good, and Jennie started nagging me about eating and sleeping – they also don't know about the drugs I've been taking. Well, 'had' been taking, since I won't need them anymore. They don't know about my plans. They'll all be better off without me. I don't think any of them know about my YT channel because they've never asked me about it, but they'll figure out what happened soon enough... or at least that I'm dead. 

Jungkook just called the end of class, so I better get my shit together and go... 

_**Narrator's POV**_

Candice carefully took her Geometry test and put it in the notebook with the other tests she'd failed, then placed the notebook in her backpack. She had contemplated waiting until the rest of the students were gone before she left the classroom, but she was afraid that would allow Jungkook to start yelling at her before they got to his office, so she hurriedly got up and walked out in the middle of the group, then waited outside the door until he arrived, and followed him in. Neither of them spoke as he unlocked the door, a dark scowl on his face from the moment he saw her standing there. He ushered her in, closed the door behind himself, walked to his desk, sat in his chair, and then pointed at the chair across from him. 

"Sit." He commanded, although Candice shook her head and remained near the door. 

"No, thank you, Mr. Jeon... I can hear you fine from here..." She kept her gaze lowered; her hands clenched in the straps of her backpack as she held it in front of her like a shield. 

Her small act of defiance proved to be his undoing, and Jungkook stood up from his chair, stalked over to where she stood, and loomed over her. 

"Look at me, Miss Taan," he growled, and she lifted her head, cringing as she saw the fury on his face, his dark chocolate eyes almost glowing with the incandescence of it. "What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" He ground out, his hands fisted at his sides, as he forced himself not to grab her and shake her until her teeth rattled. 

"What the fuck was what, Mr. Jeon?" She asked in return, as tears began to slip down her cheeks. As frightened as she was of him right now, she had resigned herself to the fact that he loathed her, and nothing else he did to her could hurt any worse than that. 

Jungkook raised his hand, ready to slap her across the face, but stopped when she didn't flinch or turn her head, her blank expression catching him off guard. He ran his hand through his hair and turned around, stalked back to his chair, and sat down, then turned to look out the window. "What the fuck have you been doing for the past four weeks, huh? Because it's painfully obvious that you weren't fucking studying!" As he spoke, his voice grew louder and louder until he was yelling. "Were you just sitting in your fucking room, watching videos on your laptop? Playing games? Chatting with your friends on some social media platform?? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING? AND WHO THE HELL SAID YOU COULD DOODLE ALL OVER MY FUCKING TEST???!!!!!" 

He was standing behind his desk now, having come up out of his chair, but restrained himself from lunging at her, and Candice just watched him silently as tears continued raining from her green eyes. 

"AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CRYING??!!! DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO GET YOU ANY SYMPATHY FROM ME, MISS TAAN? WELL, YOU HAVE ANOTHER THINK COMING! I KNOW YOU CAN TURN THOSE FUCKING WATERWORKS ON AT THE DROP OF A HAT, SO DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF YOUR CROCODILE TEARS!!! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING FOR THE PAST FOUR WEEKS??!!! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, MISS TAAN???" 

Jungkook watched Candice as she carefully turned and set her backpack down on the chair he'd told her to sit on, then opened the flap and took out the notebook. She hugged it to her chest for a long moment, took a deep, shuddering breath, then carefully placed it on his desk in front of him, placing it face toward him so he could open it and start reading if he chose. Then she turned around, walked toward the door, and set her hand on the knob. 

"Miss Taan," Jungkook growled, "what the fuck is this?" 

She turned her head and looked at him to see him gesturing toward the notebook. "The proof of my worthlessness," she replied, then started to turn the doorknob in preparation for leaving his office. 

"Miss Taan, I would highly suggest that you don't leave this office until I am through with you; otherwise, you will not be welcomed back." Jungkook gripped the edge of his desk tightly enough to whiten his knuckles and gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to lose control. 

A sudden sob escaped Candice's mouth, and she lifted her hand to cover her lips for a moment and quelled the urge to break down and beg him to comfort her, then turned her head and looked at him again. "I now know I was never welcome in your life, Mr. Jeon, I know you just pretended. I am truly sorry for being a burden and ignoring all the hints you gave me to disappear." She studied his face, memorizing his features even in his furious state, then whispered, "Goodbye." Before he could process what she said and prevent her from leaving, she opened the door and walked out. 

"SHIT!!!" He yelled a moment later, then hurried to the door to catch her, but there were all kinds of students milling around in the hall as they came and went to and from classrooms. She'd hunched over as she started walking, but he could see her blonde hair, and she started running when he called her name.


	5. I am sorry

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Fuck! Goddammit, Jeon Jungkook, what the fuck is the matter with you??!! Jesus... well, she'll at least go home, and I'll be able to talk to her... fuck, how the hell did I let it get to this? 'You will not be welcomed back'... what the fuck was that, Jeon??? FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! 

If I thought I could actually punch myself hard enough to cause damage, I'd be beating the shit out of me right now, but I know there's that self-preservation thing that prevents people from doing that unless they are desperate. And while I'm upset, I'm not desperate yet. Plus, beating the shit out of myself won't help me with Candice. 

Suddenly, I received a notification on my phone. 

Jimin: JUNGKOOK! WHAT THE FUCK??!! 

Jungkook: Wae??!! What happened? 

Jimin: Have you seen Candice's YouTube video yet??? 

Jungkook: Uh... she posted a new one? I haven't, why... 

Jimin: Jesus, Jungkook, what the fuck did you do to her?? 

Jungkook: What are you talking about?? Wait, let me load it... 

Jimin: … 

(A few minutes later)

Jungkook: FUCK!!!!! 

Jimin: No shit!! Where is she, Jungkook?!! 

Jungkook: I don't know... I'm pretty sure she went home... 

Jimin: Really?!! Why would she do that?!!!! She sounds like she's positive you don't want her there... 

Jungkook: Fuck. I don't know where else she'd go... 

Jimin: Jeon Jungkook, I swear I am going to punch you when I see you... in the meantime, we need to find Candice before it's too late 

Jungkook: Yeah... oh... oh, fuck... Jimin... 

Jimin: WHAT?? 

Jungkook: She... she left me a notebook... she said it was... oh fuck... oh god, I hurt her so much and I didn't even know... she was too afraid to tell me..." 

Jimin: WHAT DOES IT SAY??!! 

Jungkook: I... you'll have to see it yourself... it's... fuck... 

Jimin: Jungkook! I see her!!!! 

Jungkook: WHAT??? WHERE???? 

Jimin: She's walking past my classroom right now... wait... isn't the bus she takes to get home on the other side of campus from here? 

Jungkook: Yeah... shit... Jimin, you have to follow her; I'm on my way... don't let her out of your sight... 

Jimin: All right... I'm going to call you so you can hear me if I catch up with her... 

Jungkook: Okay, but... don't spook her, she's... fuck... Jimin... 

Jimin: I'll be careful... hurry up... I'll tell you where we're at so you can get to us as fast as you can... 

Jungkook: Okay... 

A few moments later, Jimin called me. I picked up the call as I ran out of my office and to the doors out of the building, then started running toward the dance class studio. 

Jimin OTP: Okay, I'm following her... we're walking East on Fourth... Jesus, Jungkook, she looks miserable... what the fuck did you do??" 

Jungkook OTP: I broke her, Jimin... I was an arrogant fucking son-of-a-bitch, and I did something I shouldn't have, and I mistreated her... and I crushed her precious little heart... fuck... 

_**Narrator's POV**_

Jungkook had begun reading the notebook as he was texting with Jimin. 

The first page was dated 9/1 - at the top was a little picture of a birthday cake, and she'd written 'Happy Birthday Kookie-ah!!" in tiny letters, although next to it was a broken heart. Candice had filled the rest of the page with one of the problems from the homework assigned and her attempts at solving it. She'd tried over and over, without success, and finally, she'd written on the last line of the page: "Happy Birthday, Kookie-ah, I didn't mean to make you so angry. I am sorry." 

He'd turned the page and seen the next homework problem written, along with 9/2 at the top of the page, then all of her attempts at solving that one, until at the very bottom she'd written, "I am trying so hard, but I do not understand this math. I am sorry." 

He'd slowly paged through and found one page for each day she'd been grounded – most of the problems were the same few, and she'd tried different tactics to solve them, but none had worked. He could see the places where she'd started correctly, then gone off track, and as he looked through her work, he mentally explained what needed to be fixed, as if he was silently teaching her. 

And at the bottom of each page was another line she'd written directly to him. 

9/3 - I wish I were smarter. I am sorry 

9/4 - I wish I could do better. I am sorry. 

9/5 - I wish I could make my stupid brain understand this. I am sorry. 

9/6 - I wish you loved me, even though I'm stupid. I am sorry. 

9/7 - I wish I were a good girl. I am sorry. 

9/8 - I look at the problems in the book, and I can't understand them. I am sorry. 

9/9 - I wish I could ask you for help, but I am afraid you will find out how stupid I am. I am sorry. 

9/10 - I would give anything to be able to sleep with you again. I can't sleep without you. I am sorry. 

9/11 - I miss your voice. I am sorry. 

9/12 - I miss your touch. I am sorry. 

9/13 - I miss your kisses. I am sorry. 

9/14 - I pay attention in class, and I am no closer to understanding. I am sorry. 

9/15 - I wish I could have celebrated our anniversary with you. I am sorry. 

9/16 - I wish I could be beautiful. I am sorry. 

9/17 - I am worthless. I am sorry. 

9/18- I am useless. I am sorry. 

9/19 - I am not worthy of you. I am sorry. 

9/20 - I am a disappointment. I am sorry. 

9/21 - You deserve someone wonderful, and that is not me. I am sorry. 

9/22 - You need a woman, not a child. I am sorry. 

9/23 - I am no closer to understanding any of this and seven days away from losing you forever. I am sorry. 

9/24 - I've tried so hard, but I am too slow-witted to understand. I am sorry. 

9/25 - I wish I could be perfect the way you want me to be. I am sorry. 

9/26 - I stared at this problem for hours, and all I heard was your voice telling me I'm stupid, and now I have proven you right. I am sorry. 

9/27 - When I am gone, I wish you to have a good, happy life. I am sorry. 

9/28 - Two more days, and it will all be over. I am sorry. 

9/29 - I will do poorly on all my tests because I tried so hard to pass this one, that I didn't do any work in my other classes. I am sorry. 

9/30 - Goodbye, Mr. Jeon. I am sorry I wasted so much of your time. 

At the bottom of the last page in tiny writing, she'd written: I loved you with all my heart. I wish you could have loved me, but I understand why you didn't. I am so sorry. I hope someday you can forgive me, so my soul will have peace. 

Now, he was racing toward the dance studio while listening to Jimin on the phone, telling him where he was as he followed Candice. 

Candice was hunched over with her arms around herself, keeping her eyes on the ground while periodically lifting her head to make sure she wouldn't run into anyone. Jimin followed her surreptitiously, although she never turned to see if someone was behind her, so he wasn't too worried about her seeing him and trying to run. 

"We're on the River Walk now, Jungkook... oh crap!" Jimin exclaimed. 

"What happened??!!" Jungkook asked worriedly. 

"She just tripped and fell; I'm going to put my phone in my pocket; you should be able to hear us..." Jimin said. 

"Okay..." Jungkook replied. 

"Candice? Candi-ah, are you okay? What are you doing here, jagiya? Where are you going?" Jungkook heard Jimin speaking and listened intently for the answer. 

Jimin hurried to where Candice was on her hands and knees, stunned a bit from the sudden fall. She let him help her to her feet, then looked at him and offered him a soft, sad smile. "Oh, hello, Mr. Park," she said, "I'm fine, thank you. Thank you for helping me get up." 

"Wait, where are you going? Why are you calling me Mr. Park? Look, you're bleeding, you should sit down and let me... oh, there's a pharmacy, I can go buy some first aid supplies... you sit here, baby, I'll..." Jimin said. 

"Oh... oh, no, please don't trouble yourself on my account, Mr. Park," Candice replied, her voice low and tired sounding, "I'll be fine. It's just a little blood, and... it's not like it matters..." 

"Honey, you're bleeding pretty badly from that one cut; you need to let me..." Jimin said. "Wait, sit down here... stop... Candice..." Jungkook could hear Jimin's footsteps on the pavement, but he couldn't hear Candice's, then remembered she'd been wearing a pair of sneakers. 

"No, no, it's okay, Mr. Park... it doesn't matter how much I bleed... no-one cares..." 

"Candice... oh god, what... did you do that to your legs?" Jimin had just noticed the words she'd cut into her skin. "Why... why did you put those words?" 

Jungkook heard Candice laugh suddenly, and the bleakness of the sound broke his heart. "Because they're true..." 

"Why do you think they're true? Candice... where are you going? Why won't you stop and talk to me? Honey, slow down, you'll fall again..." Jimin was trying very hard to stop Candice from continuing to walk so that Jungkook could catch up to them. 

Candice chuckled softly, then replied, "Because Jungkook thinks they are... so I'm going far away, so he doesn't have to put up with me anymore... and I don't want to stop, because if you are near me for too long, I'll infect you more, too..." 

Jungkook frowned when he heard her say that, then heard Jimin reply, "Why would you think Jungkook thinks those things about you? And what do you mean, infect me more? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?" 

"Because he hates me, Mr. Park, don't you know? He hates me because I'm worthless, useless, stupid, ugly, and vile. And no, I'm not sick... well, I mean, not sick in any way that can be healed, other than by dying... and if you spend too much time with me, I will contaminate the air you breathe... because I'm disgusting..." 

"Candice... Jungkook doesn't hate you... and you're none of those things... you're beautiful and sweet, and you deserve to be loved... Jungkook loves you..." Jimin continued to walk with the girl while she kept herself hunched over. Now, the front of her shirt was dirty from the gravel and blood she was smearing on it while she held her arms in front of her chest. 

Jungkook heard Candice let out another of those desolate chuckles, then she replied, "How could someone like him love someone like me? I can't understand the subject he teaches because I'm a moron. I might have been able to keep that hidden from him if the other teacher had stayed, but that didn't happen... and besides, Mr. Jeon told me that if I left his office, I wouldn't be welcomed back... I'm pretty sure I never had a place in his heart, and I don't really know why he pretended I did, but it must have been a bet or something. Or maybe I was a decoy so that he could keep his relationship with you hidden." 

"Candice!! Jungkook would never do something like that!!" Jimin sounded indignant, and Jungkook wanted to reach through the phone and smack him, worried that he'd cause Candice to run until Jimin continued speaking, "He would never pretend to love someone if he didn't... he loves you, Candice..." 

Suddenly, Jungkook got the impression that Candice had stopped walking, as Jimin's footsteps had stopped. 

"Look, Mr. Park," she said, her voice empty as she spoke, "you should stop walking with me because I don't want you to get disgusted as Jungkook did. Jungkook has you; he doesn't love me... if he wants a girlfriend, he could find a million of them that are better than I am... hell, any other woman on the planet is better than me... please tell him..." There was the sound of a sudden soft sob, then she continued, "Please tell him that I'm sorry I forced myself upon him for so long, that I'm sorry I forced him to help me the day we met, and that... I didn't realize how awful I was until he told me. He thinks I was using him. I would never, but... but he didn't believe me. So... you see... he hates me... I tried to live up to his expectations, and I failed... you and he will be so much better off without me to poison your lives. Everyone will." 

Jungkook suddenly heard Jimin yell, "CANDICE, NO!!!!", then Jimin was talking into the phone. "Jungkook! Fuck, she... she walked out into traffic... I... I don't know how she did it, but... she's okay, she's... she's on the other side of the street... I can't cross right now, I have to wait for the light, but I'm watching her... hurry up, I'm on the corner of Main and Fourth." 

A few seconds later, Jungkook came running up and grabbed Jimin's arm. "Where did she go??!!" 

Jimin was still facing the direction Candice had gone, and he pointed. "She walked down two blocks, then turned left..." 

The light turned green, and the two men ran through the intersection, skirting around the people coming from the other direction. 

"I think I know where she's going!" Jungkook said as he picked up speed once they were away from the crowd. 

"Where??!!" Jimin called while he kept pace. 

They came to the corner where Candice had turned, and Jungkook stopped running, although he was still walking quickly. 

"I think she's going to the pet cemetery..." Jungkook pointed down the street. 

Jimin looked and could see a set of wrought iron gates that were propped open. "Why would she go there?" 

"I'll explain later, Jiminie... look, there she is..." 

The two men had passed through the gates and entered a small courtyard, and as Jimin looked around, he saw Candice. 

"Shit," he said softly as he followed Jungkook to where she was. 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

We found her curled up in a ball on the cement slab in front of the wall where her cat's cremains were stored. She had one hand resting against the copper plate that was engraved with her cat's name – Peanut – and was sobbing and talking to her. "I wish I had died when you did. I wish I had never met him, so he wouldn't have had to be burdened with me. I wish I were good enough. I wish I were pretty enough. I wish I were skinny enough. I don't know where to go now. I can't go to his house; he doesn't want me. I can't go to any of my friend's houses; I don't want to be a burden to them. I want to die. No-one cares if I'm alive, no-one will care if I'm dead." 

"Candice? Honey? It's me, baby... I'm sorry, sweetheart... I'm sorry I hurt you..." I reached out to touch her shoulder, and she screamed – apparently, she'd been too upset to notice my and Jimin's approach, and even when I'd been talking to her... she must have thought she was hallucinating. Regardless, I scared her, and she scared us. "Candice... it's me and Jimin, honey... come here, let me hold you... shh... shh, baby, stop screaming, I won't hurt you like that again... shh..." 

She screamed for a few moments longer, then abruptly stopped, causing both Jimin and I to look at her. "Fuck, Jimin, she passed out... call one one nine, I don't know where the nearest hospital is, and I think she needs to have her leg stitched up... fuck... oh honey, what did you do to yourself... oh god..." I'd just seen the words she'd carved in her legs, then remembered the video she'd posted. "Fuck... my poor baby... I'm so sorry, honey..." I held her close and buried my face in her hair, holding back my tears. 

I felt Jimin gently stroking my shoulder, and a few minutes later, I heard the sound of the ambulance siren as it approached. Picking Candice up in my arms, I realized how thin she'd become, as I could feel her ribs, and she was obviously lighter than she had been the last time I'd held her. 

The ambulance ride seemed to take forever, but I'm sure it was less than five minutes, as we were close to the hospital, after all. Once they checked Candice in, she was taken to a room and evaluated. Her wounds were stitched and plastered, and the doctor came out a short while later to consult with Jimin and me about her condition. 

"Miss Taan has regained consciousness; she fainted because she is frail. After refusing to answer a few times, she finally admitted she hasn't eaten for the past two days and that she's only eaten small amounts of food over the past month. She says that she's been drinking water, so she didn't need food, but... well, we all know you can't live on only water. She is also suffering from withdrawal symptoms; she said she's been taking a prescription drug to help her stay awake so that she could study... I assume that means she's a student at one of our fine Universities?" 

Both Jimin and I nodded, stunned at the revelation about her taking something like that, and the doctor continued. "She needs to stay here overnight for observation, but she should be ready to go home tomorrow." The doctor looked at us seriously, then continued, "I have noted the words she carved into her skin, although I also noted that none of the wounds are deep enough to create long-lasting scars. When I asked her about that, she said it was so no-one would question why she was dead. I asked her if there was a reason behind those words... she wouldn't answer. My suggestion is that she see a counselor as soon as possible. And I wouldn't leave her alone at all for the next few months until she is past whatever brought this on... she is fragile and needs support; otherwise... she might succeed the next time." 

The doctor sighed, then murmured, "And I'm sorry to say it, but I believe she'll try again if she doesn't get help." 

I was barely keeping myself from breaking down in tears, and Jimin wrapped his arm over my shoulder and hugged me. "Can we see her?" I asked quietly. 

"Yes... she's been given a light sedative to relax, as the withdrawals can be rather difficult, but she is conscious and somewhat alert, although she is tired. She does need to sleep, so if you know of a way to help her do that, please let me know. I will have one of the nurses stay with her until tomorrow." 

"I... I'd like to stay with her tonight if that's okay..." I felt my eyes start to burn with unshed tears, and I rubbed them quickly. "She usually sleeps better when I'm with her." 

The doctor looked at Jimin, then back at me. "All right... I'll have two cots brought in..." 

The doctor nodded his head, then showed us to the room she was in before he turned around and walked away. 

I took a deep breath, pushed at the door, and walked in with Jimin following behind me.


	6. A sad day turns happy

_**Candice's POV**_

It was cold that day. Cold and rainy, the rain periodically turning to sleet. The day I laid my little cat, Peanut, to rest. I'd brought her with me from Taiwan, and she was old then, but she managed the trip just fine... but now, a year later, she's gone. My friends asked if I wanted them to come with me to her 'funeral,' but to be honest, I didn't want anyone to be there with me. I've never been great with people telling me 'now they're not in pain,' or 'everything will be okay'... If I could be around people who didn't feel the need to say anything, who could just hold me and let me mourn silently, that'd be awesome, but most people feel too awkward and try to figure out something to say that will comfort the person who's grieving... I didn't want my friends to feel weird, and I didn't want to be comforted. I wanted my little cat to be alive again. 

She was actually all I had left from Taiwan. My parents had been killed when the boat they were on sank off the island of Panay in the Philippines. They traveled quite a bit for business, and while we weren't rich by any means, we had lived quite comfortably. Still, earning the scholarship to study dance with Park Jimin in Seoul was better, both for my resume' and for their pocketbook. They died three months before I left Taiwan... I am an only child, and they were going to keep Peanut when I left, but since they'd died, that wasn't an option. I did have a small inheritance, and for the first year I lived in Seoul, I used most of it, but as that year came to an end, I wanted to look for a job, so I could support myself while I continued school, as I didn't want to spend every penny I had. And then I met Jungkook. 

Sometimes, I think fate must have stepped in that day because out of all of the people who passed by me as I sat on the ground in front of the cemetery and cried, he was the only one who stopped. I still don't really know why I hadn't stayed inside the cemetery and sat on a bench... I was so upset and desolate, I... I think I was actually planning to leave Seoul and go home, but when I passed through the gates and realized that everything that tied me to my past in Taiwan was now gone, I didn't have the strength to take another step or to find any kind of shelter. I just plopped down where I was, on the cold pavement, in the freezing rain, and sobbed. 

And as I sat there with my face in my hands, my broken heart bleeding out in my tears, I realized I couldn't feel the cold drops pelting me any longer, even though it was still cold, and I could hear the cars as they passed by and splashed through the puddles. I lowered my hands, blinked open my eyes, and saw a pair of black trainers almost touching my legs – I was sitting in the lotus position – and as I slowly raised my eyes, following the lines of the legs encased in tight black jeans, to the black sweatshirt and jacket, I found myself looking into dark chocolate eyes topped with a head of thick black hair. And above all of that was a large black umbrella that was currently shielding Mr. Black and me from the icy rain. 

I was so astonished that anyone had stopped, I didn't speak for a long moment, and then my brain registered that this person who was looming over me was drop-dead gorgeous, and that stopped whatever I might have said from popping out of my mouth. It didn't stop me from gaping at him with my mouth wide open, which brought a grin to his lips... his 'I want to kiss those' lips... damn... 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

"Hello, do you need some help?" I asked the beautiful girl as I held my umbrella over us and watched her lift her head slowly to meet my gaze. Fuck. She has the most beautiful green eyes... they have to be contacts... I don't care; they're beautiful. "Here, let me help you stand up..." I reached out my hand for her to take so I could pull her up from the ground, and she shifted her eyes from mine to my fingers, looking at them as though they were some sort of anomaly that she hadn't experienced before. "Um... you really should get off the pavement, you'll get sick... take my hand, let me help you..." 

I'm usually pretty shy, but for some reason, when I saw this girl just sitting there all by herself and crying so heartbrokenly, and not a single person paid her a drop of attention, I couldn't just walk past and ignore her. Finally, she blinked those green eyes at me, then lifted her hand and took mine – fuck, her fingers are like ice! - and I pulled her to her feet. When she was standing up, I realized she was quite a bit shorter than I was, and she still had to tilt her head back to look at me while I had to lower mine. I thought she looked like a lost waif, and she was adorable. Right at that moment, I felt a little ping in my heart and knew I wanted to know her. 

"Hello, my name is Jeon Jungkook... and you are soaking wet and freezing. Do you live nearby? Let me help you get home..." 

She blinked at me owlishly, then shook her head, which I took to mean that she didn't live nearby, so I said, "What's your name? Can I call you a cab? If you don't have money, I can pay for it..." She didn't look poor, but most people don't sit outside a... where are we, anyway... oh, it's a pet cemetery... hm... well, most people don't sit on the pavement in the middle of a sleet storm, unless they don't have anywhere else to go. 

She shook her head again, then bowed low to me and turned around to start walking away. 

"Wait," I said quickly, then reached for her wrist, pulling her back before she could walk out from under the shelter of the umbrella. She looked at my hand, then up at my face, and I offered her a friendly smile. "Let me at least get you a cup of coffee... see that café on the corner right there?" I pointed to a lighted sign that displayed a large coffee cup with a stylized puff of steam that blinked over the top of it. "So, you can have something warm before you have to walk in this weather again... okay?" 

She continued to look up at me, and I realized she was chewing on the corner of her bottom lip, which made me feel some kind of way – I've always thought that was a sexy gesture – and then she nodded, and her mouth curved into a very tiny smile. And my heart leapt out of my chest and snuggled itself right up to hers. I fell hard, and she hadn't even spoken a word. I had no idea if she was crazy or married or didn't like guys, and I didn't care. My heart decided she was mine. So. Once she'd agreed with that slight nod, I gently took her hand and led her toward the café. I held the door for her and closed my umbrella before I walked inside, and the owner came to take us to a table. 

"Oh, Jungkook ssi, good afternoon," the lady said to me as we followed her, and I smiled. 

"Good afternoon, Auntie Seoyeon," I replied, then gestured for the girl to sit in the booth first while I moved to sit on the other side across from her. 

"Would you like a menu?" Aunt Seoyeon asked, looking between my companion and me. 

"I know what I want, Auntie, but... I don't even know your name, Miss..." I looked at the girl, and she looked back at me, then at Aunt Seoyeon. 

"Yes, may I see a menu, please?" She looked toward me, and her smile brightened a bit as she said, "My name is Candice Taan... it is nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon." Her voice was sweet like honey, and I wanted to taste her breath. Fuck. 

"I'll bring one right back," Aunt Seoyeon replied, then walked away, although I didn't miss her looking over her shoulder, casting her gaze between Candice and me, then winking. I rolled my eyes and grinned, but my heart was hammering in my chest as I turned my attention back to the girl sitting with me. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, as well, Miss Taan. For a minute there, I wasn't sure you would talk to me. And please, call me Jungkook." Did I mention her voice is as beautiful as she is? And now that we're inside and she's warming up, her hair is starting to dry, and I can see it's blond. 

Candice blushed and shrugged her shoulders slightly, then started rummaging around in her pockets. "I'm sorry, Mr. J... um, Jungkook... I didn't mean to be rude, but... I was very upset and so surprised that anyone stopped. Well, shoot..." I watched her look in her pockets, then open her sweater and search through the small purse that was slung across her shoulder and had been shielded from the rain when she was hunching over on the pavement. 

"What's the matter? Do you need something?" I asked while I watched her in concern. 

"I... I need to blow my nose, and I usually have tissues with me, but... I don't seem to have any left... I knew I should have brought more, considering that I knew I would need them..." She sighed, then looked at the cloth napkin on the table in front of her. "Oh... and they don't use paper napkins here... drat. Um... if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to use the ladies' room..." 

"Of course, take your time," I replied, smiling as she started to stand up. 

Just then, Aunt Seoyeon returned with the menu, a pot of barley tea, and two cups, and set them on the table, then looked critically at Candice. "Oh dear, you look like you're freezing cold, and you're soaking wet. Come, come upstairs with me; I think I have a change of clothes that will fit you... well, they'll be a bit big, but they'll be warm and dry until yours are ready..." 

Candice raised her eyebrows and looked between my auntie and me, then shook her head and replied quietly, "N-no... it's fine, really... I don't want to be any trouble... I'll just use a couple of paper towels in the ladies' room, that will be enough..." 

"No, now no arguments, it's no trouble at all... come..." Aunt Seoyeon insisted as she gently took Candice's hand and began to lead her to the door at the back of the café that opened to the stairway leading up to her apartment. Candice cast a worried look over her shoulder at me, but I offered her a reassuring smile, then poured myself a cup of tea to drink while I waited. 

A short while later, I saw the door open, then Aunt Seoyeon emerged, and following after her came Candice, and I started chuckling. 

"Oh, my goodness, what did my auntie give you to wear? You look adorable!" I blurted out as soon as Candice arrived at the table. She was wearing a pair of my old sweatpants and a sweatshirt, which were at least two sizes too big for her. She blushed and sat down quickly, obviously trying to hide herself from my view, and my Aunt smiled fondly at the girl, then reached out to brush her fingers through her hair. 

"These are the old clothes that you left here the last time you visited, Jungkook ssi... which was quite a long time ago, I might add..." 

"Aish, I know, Auntie, and I promise, I was on my way to see you today, which is how I found Miss Taan... she was sitting outside the pet cemetery up the street." 

Aunt Seoyeon nodded and lightly patted my shoulder as she looked at me. "Yes, so Candice said... you've always been a good boy, Jungkook ssi, your mother will be proud when she hears about this." 

"Please don't tell her, Auntie, she already thinks I'm perfect, and I can't convince her otherwise if you keep tattling on me when I do something good..." 

Aunt Seoyeon laughed, then looked at Candice and said, "You'll find that our Jungkook is unlike most other young men... he is always trying to prove he's not as sweet and kind as he is, rather than those who try to prove they are sweet and kind when they aren't." 

"Yah, stop that, you're going to make me blush, Auntie!" Of course, as soon as I said it, I did precisely that, and my Aunt laughed while Candice giggled. 

She giggled. Oh my god. Yep, I am an absolute goner. Please don't let me do something stupid and lose my chance with this cutie before anything even begins. 

Candice had been perusing the menu while we were chatting, and she looked up at my Aunt and asked, "May I please have a bowl of red bean porridge, Auntie Seoyeon? And some honey and cream for my tea?" 

Aunt Seoyeon smiled and nodded to Candice, took her menu, then looked at me. "Did you want something besides tea, Mr. Jeon?" 

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Seriously, Auntie? No-one calls me Mr. Jeon, except my students, and that still seems so weird to me." I shook my head, and Aunt Seoyeon chuckled. "Yes, I would like a cinnamon roll, please... and bring two forks, if you don't mind." 

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary!" Candice blurted, then blushed. "Um... I'll be fine with the porridge..." 

I smiled warmly at the beautiful girl and replied, "Trust me, you won't be able to resist wanting some of it once you see my Aunt's cinnamon roll, and if you don't let her bring you a fork now, I won't let you ask for one later..." I wiggled my eyebrows at Candice and winked at my Aunt. 

"Oh, fine, if you're going to be that way..." Candice said, then stuck her tongue out at me! 

Aunt Seoyeon laughed and shook her head as she said, "Better watch out, Jungkook ssi, this girl is going to be a handful..." 

I grinned as I watched her walk away, then looked back at Candice. "So... tell me about yourself, Miss Taan. I imagine you weren't sitting in front of that wrought iron gate simply because you felt the need to do so in such nasty weather?" 

_**Narrator's POV**_

Candice sighed and shook her head, then looked down at her hands on the table. "Please call me Candice, and no... um... my cat... she was old, and she died, so... I had her cremains interred there, so I could have somewhere to visit when I'm sad..." She looked up at Jungkook and smiled slightly. "My parents chose to be 'recycled'... so instead of a grave, I can visit the trees that their bodies nourished, but they're in Taiwan, and that would be the only reason for me to go back." 

Jungkook blinked as he saw a single tear slip down Candice's cheek, then leaned forward to reach across the table and catch the droplet on the tip of his index finger before lifting it to his mouth and licking it off. 

Candice watched him do that in shock, her mouth dropping open, and when he realized what he'd done, he blushed. 

"Uh... sorry about that, Candice, it's... um... sorry... just sorry..." Jungkook looked highly uncomfortable, and Candice smiled softly. 

"It's okay, Jungkook; I've just never had anyone do that. I didn't mind." 

"Oh... well, okay... still, I suppose it was a little forward for me to do that since we only just met... I'll try to refrain from doing anything else like that... at least until we've known each other for another hour or so..." 

His comment caused Candice to start giggling, which broke the sudden awkwardness, and Jungkook laughed with her, both of them smiling warmly at each other, then at Seoyeon when she came to the table with their orders. 

As the two young people talked, Jungkook learned that Candice was an only child; he found out about how her parents died and why she was in Seoul. Then she found out that Jungkook had moved to Seoul from Busan with his family a few years before, they were very wealthy, and he was friends with Park Jimin. 

"Oh, that's so interesting!" Candice said as she took a bite of the cinnamon roll. "I've studied with him for a year now, but I hardly know him since he has other students to tend to, along with his work with the troupe. He seems very nice, though. And he's an amazing dancer; I was incredibly fortunate to be chosen by him." 

Jungkook smiled and reached over to brush a bit of frosting from the corner of Candice's mouth, then licked it off his thumb before grinning and looking at a clock on the nearby wall. "Okay, it has officially been an hour, so it wasn't weird for me to do that just now... right? And Jimin is very nice. He and I spend time together when we can; I'll have to invite you to go with us sometimes." 

Candice giggled when Jungkook made the statement about the frosting, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks, then she tilted her head and looked at him curiously when he spoke about Jimin. "You two are close friends? That's awesome. It's strange how small the world is... I wouldn't have expected to run into a stranger on the street and have them be acquainted with the person I'd come from another country to study under..." 

Jungkook blinked at her choice of phrase, then murmured, "Just make sure dancing is the only thing you're studying when you're under him... anything else is for me..." 

Candice's eyebrows rose, and she looked at Jungkook in shock. "Um... did you really just say what I think you said?" 

Jungkook blushed darkly and facepalmed himself. "Oh god, did I say that out loud? I am such a pabo..." 

There was absolute silence for a long moment, and Jungkook peeked toward the beautiful blonde through his fingers, then lowered his hand when he saw her with her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the giggles that were shaking her shoulders. 

"Wae?" Jungkook asked as he watched her curiously. 

"Hahaha... oh... oh goodness... hahaha... Jungkook... that's hilarious... and I do that all the time... and honestly... I say things worse than that, so... hahaha... well, that was certainly... hahaha... eye-opening..." She leaned back in the booth and held her hand over her chest, panting as she tried to stop giggling and catch her breath. "Oh, my goodness... you... hahahaha... priceless..." 

Jungkook snorted and gently kicked her under the table, causing her to jump and peer under the table at his foot, which was again on his side of the booth. She looked up at him, and he gave her an innocent look, saying, "Wae?" 

"Wae, my butt... you kicked me, you big brat!" Candice tried to kick him back, but since she was only wearing the house slippers Seoyeon had loaned her while they waited for her clothes to dry when her foot did connect with his shin, it didn't hurt. Well, and she wasn't trying to kick him too hard, anyway. 

Jungkook laughed as he watched Candice shrink in the seat while she reached her leg toward him, then slipped his hand under the table, bent forward, and caught her ankle in his large hand, then held it tightly enough that she couldn't pull back. "Hm, what is this I've caught, I wonder?" He watched her face as he reached under the table with his other hand, then said, "I wonder if it's ticklish...?" 

"No! Now... don't do that, Jungkook! We're in a public place! In your Aunt's shop!" Candice started to panic, and Jungkook immediately released her ankle and sat back up, then smiled at her gently. 

"It's all right, Candice, I wouldn't do something you didn't permit me to do. But you did look awfully cute when you thought I was going to tickle you..." 

"Hmph, I'm not ticklish, I just didn't want you playing with my foot under the table in public!" Candice sat back up and crossed her legs under her, being small enough to do that without shifting the tabletop. 

"Oh... so, you're saying you wouldn't mind me tickling your foot in private, then?" Jungkook replied, then smirked. 

"No, I'm not saying that! Um... no, I'm not, no... I... wait, yes... um... Oh!!" Candice crossed her arms over her chest when she realized that no matter how she answered his question, it would sound like she would let him do it. "Hmph!" 

Jungkook snickered and smiled warmly. "You're very cute when you pout, you know... I get the urge to pick you up, sit you in my lap, and cuddle you until you smile." 

Candice blinked and looked at Jungkook, then asked, "Did you mean to say that out loud?" 

Jungkook smiled more widely and nodded his head. "Yep... I think you're adorable." 

"Oh..." Candice replied, as she blushed deeply, then murmured, "I think you're very handsome..." 

"Well, that's good, because it would suck if you thought I was ugly!" 

Just then, Seoyeon came to the table to tell Candice that her clothes were dry, so the girl followed the lady upstairs, changed back to her own clothing, then came back down to the table. 

"Thank you again, Aunt Seoyeon; I appreciate your help; I was freezing and uncomfortable and not looking forward to having to ride the bus like that." She smiled at Seoyeon and Jungkook, then looked back at the lady. "I think it's time I go home... could I have my receipt, please? I'd like to pay." 

Jungkook's expression changed to one of sudden worry, and he shook his head surreptitiously at his Aunt, who got the message, then smiled at the girl. "Oh, no, Candice ssi, please consider your lunch as a gift. It pleases me to help someone as sweet as you, and I know you were sad when you came in. It's been nice to see you smiling and laughing with my nephew." 

Candice looked between the young man and the lady, blushing, then shook her head. "Please... I... I don't want charity... I can pay..." She reached into the small bag and pulled out her wallet, then took out a few won. "See? How much do I owe you?" 

Both Seoyeon and Jungkook were ready to continue to refuse, but suddenly, Seoyeon smiled warmly at Candice and accepted the money. "I think this will be enough, dear; let me go total it up. I will bring you your change." 

"No! Um... No, no, thank you... please, keep the change..." Candice looked like she was about to panic again, and Jungkook reached over to place his warm hand over hers. 

"Candice... it's all right..." Jungkook said softly, his voice warm and calm. When Candice turned her face toward him, Jungkook squeezed her hand gently. "There is no need to get upset, Candice... Auntie Seoyeon is accepting your payment, see?" 

Candice turned her head and watched as Seoyeon walked toward the cash register, rang up the ticket, then deposited the money in the drawer before closing it tight again. 

"O-Okay... okay..." Candice replied, then looked back at Jungkook. "I'm... I'm sorry... I... I really should be... going... th-thank you for... for helping me..." She stood up and bowed to him, then turned to leave, but he caught her wrist and held her motionless. 

"Please allow me to drive you home, Candice; I don't want you to have to wait at the bus stop, then walk home, your clothes are not nearly warm enough and I don't want you to get sick."


	7. We could be something together

_**Jungkook's POV**_

What in heavens name is wrong with me?? I've never felt this way with any other girl! I just want to hold her in my arms and protect her, and I have no idea if she's some crazed serial killer pretending to be an innocent cutie. 

I asked her to let me drive her home, and she nibbled on her bottom lip, which then made me want to drag her upstairs to Aunt Seoyeon's apartment, throw her on the bed, and do delicious things to her to make her scream my name in pleasure. Of course, that wouldn't go over so well with my aunt or the customers in the café, so I refrained, but it was close... 

And then she shook her head and gently tried to remove her wrist from my grip. 

"No, Jungkook... really, I'm okay, I can ride the bus... the stop isn't far from here, and it's covered... and the one near my apartment isn't too far either, just a few blocks... I'll be fine... I don't like to rely on people for things I can do myself..." 

"Well, that's a ridiculous reason not to accept the comfort of a warm car and good conversation, so I insist that you let me take you home. And I do mean to your home; I promise I won't kidnap you and take you to mine until after our third date..." I stood up and dropped a few won on the table to cover my bill and the rest of Candice's, as she hadn't had enough to pay for it, but my Aunt and I would never tell her. "Where do you live?" I took her hand and began walking toward the front door, reaching to grab my umbrella before we stepped out into the cold evening air. 

"Oh, it's getting dark! Gosh, I had no idea we'd been here for so long!" Candice exclaimed. "I know I'm keeping you from something you should be doing... really; I can take the bus, the stop isn't too far from here..." 

The rain had stopped, but now it was even colder, and the wind had kicked up. I saw Candice start shivering and realized that she wasn't wearing a coat, just a thin sweater over a tee-shirt – had she been wearing a jacket when I'd come upon her in front of the pet cemetery? I couldn't remember, but I couldn't imagine why she wouldn't have been. 

"Did you leave your coat in the booth? Go get it, I'll wait for you here... and no more arguments, I'm taking you home. I didn't have any plans tonight." I waited for her to go back in the café and fetch her coat and looked at her curiously when she didn't budge. "Aren't you going to get your coat?" 

"Um... I... uh... I don't have one..." Candice whispered, then looked down at the sidewalk and hugged her arms around her waist. 

"What?!" I exclaimed, startling both of us. "Oh, sorry... here, wear mine until we get in the car, and I can turn the heat on!" I started to take my jacket off, but she shook her head. 

"No, I can't do that, then you'll be cold!" She reached up and tried to stop me from removing my jacket, and I finally took her hands and forced her to look at me. "Candice! Good grief, you're as bad as a stubborn child! Now, listen to me!" She stopped moving and blinked at me, her eyes enormous in the lights from the café that shone through the windows. "I am much more capable of dealing with the cold than you are, and I'm wearing a sweatshirt, where you're wearing a thin tee shirt under that thin sweater. My car isn't too far away, I won't even start to feel the cold by the time we get to it, so... you will let me take my jacket off and put it on you, and you will wear it without complaint until we get to your apartment, and you are inside... all right?" 

_**Candice's POV**_

What the hell is happening? I've been self-sufficient my whole life – my parents weren't bad, but they spent a lot of time traveling. Sometimes the people that they had 'watching over me' were more interested in the money than they were in actually taking care of me, so I was the one who ended up feeding me, doing my laundry and getting myself to and from school every day. Of course, I learned to love it, so I never told my parents, and eventually, I became old enough that I didn't need supervision any longer. Unfortunately, that means that I am incredibly stubborn when it comes to letting anyone help me, even if they have the best intentions, and even if I really need their help. 

Like, if I'd been able to articulate any kind of sentences when Jungkook had found me on the sidewalk in front of the pet cemetery, I would have told him I didn't need his help, and I would have done my damnedest to get up and walk away, to prove I meant it. So... now that I was dry and fed and feeling a bit surer of myself when he offered me his coat, I argued with him. And then, he... well, he basically called me a child, scolded me, then told me I was going to do what he said, and there were no arguments allowed. And honest to god... I melted. Maybe... maybe I do want him to take me home... and... well... no... no, I can't think that way. 

I am just some charity case that he found on the street, and if it hadn't been me sitting there, he would have done it for anyone else. I can't think there's anything special about me; I can't let myself believe that he meant what he said about me being under him or wanting to cuddle me because I'm cute... I can't let his charming nature and his oh-so-fucking-beautiful face convince me that I'm anything more than a morsel he's playing with, and as soon as he leaves me at my door, I won't ever see him again. Well, unless he comes to see Mr. Park at dance class, but then, he wouldn't be there to talk to me, anyway. 

So, for now, I'll go along with this little play, and when I say goodbye to him at my door, I'll be grateful for the little bit of time I spent with him, and that will be that. Right? Yes. Okay, let's do this. 

So, I nodded my head to his question, not even brave enough to speak because I was sure my voice would tremble as the timbre of his voice had sent interesting shivers up my spine. When he had me ensconced in his jacket - which was the puffy kind, so even bigger on me than it would be if it had been fitted, he zipped it up, took my hand, and led me down the street... I swear to god, I know I looked like a little kid. And I felt like one too. And honestly, I kinda liked it. 

I should probably mention that I've been called 'a little slip of a thing' a lot... neither of my parents was large, and instead of being taller than them, as is usually the case with successive generations, I ended up shorter than my mother, who was five foot five. Me, I'm five foot two, in my bare feet, and I rarely wear heels, so... yeah, I'm short. Plus, I got my mom's small bones, too. So, imagine me, five foot two, one hundred pounds, wearing this humongous puffy jacket that reaches to my knees and waddling along beside this tall dark-haired giant (and a hella good looking one, at that). Yep, we looked like a dad and his daughter. Well, unless you were right up next to us because I don't look that young... I mean, I'm nineteen, and I look at least... hm, the last person who guessed my age said they thought I was sixteen. 

I wonder how old Jungkook thinks I am... then again, he knows I'm attending the university. I didn't say whether I graduated from high school early or not (I didn't), so he must assume that I'm at least twenty-ish... at least I hope so... it would be creepy if he thought I really was sixteen, and he was flirting with me like this. I mean, he's gorgeous and all, but if he's a teacher, he has to be twenty-seven at least... um... maybe... hm... perhaps I should ask him how old he is, and tell him how old I am, so there isn't any weirdness later... 

Anyway, so he piled me in his incredibly lovely car – he'd told me his family is wealthy and he doesn't feel the need to hide it – and honest to god, his vehicle has more fancy buttons and gadgets than I've ever even known existed in a car. And I was too scared to touch anything, so I kept my hands to myself... and screamed when the seatbelt tried to kill me as soon as he closed the door. 

"Candice! Candice, it's okay; it's an automatic seat belt, it just moves it so you can click it closed! It's not trying to murder you!" 

I was fighting with the mechanism and swimming in his coat, meaning half of my face was hidden inside the neck of it, and I could hear him laughing while he tried to wrestle the seat belt away from me so he could buckle me in. 

"Yah, stop laughing at me!" I yelled... into his jacket... which just made him laugh harder. He finally gave up trying to help me and sat back in his seat, laughing until he cried, while I sat in the passenger seat and fumed... and the stupid seat belt continued to try to kill me. 

Honest to god, for a few minutes, every time he'd calm himself down, he'd look over at me and start laughing again... finally, I punched him. Of course, being buried in that stupid jacket like I was and restricted by the assassin seat belt mechanism, my punch was more like a mosquito bite, and that made him laugh harder. 

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I opened the door, threw myself out of the car and the clutches of the stupid seat belt, then started stalking toward the bus stop, ignoring Jungkook when he got out of the vehicle and called after me. 

Seriously, that jacket was so oversized, I could barely get hold of the zipper because there was so much material around my arms and my body, so I wasn't able to actual unzip it and take it off... because there was no way I was going to wear it all the way to the bus stop, and then on the bus, and be the laughing stock of anyone who took a gander at me. Since I couldn't get a decent grip on the zipper, I started to try to wiggle out of it... like, if it was a dress that you put on and took off over your head... except I got it about a third of the way up, and then it got stuck... on the strap of my purse... like... there was something inside the jacket that hooked itself to the strap of my fucking purse... so I couldn't pull the jacket down or up any further... 

I decided that it would be prudent to stop walking since I was far enough inside the coat now that I couldn't see anything unless I bent over and peered out the neck hole. I didn't want to wander into traffic accidentally, and as soon as I stopped walking, I heard Jungkook's laughter getting closer. 

Just. Kill. Me. Now. 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Okay, that's it, I'm going to figure out how to capture this girl's heart and make her mine... how could I not? She's hilarious and beautiful and adorable and cute and sweet... and my god, she's killing me with her sassy little attitude right now... I'm following her down the street while she's trying to figure out how to get out of my enormous jacket, and all of a sudden, I realize she's stuck inside it. I'm not sure why she's stuck, but I can see her trying to pull it off and then trying to pull it back on, but it won't budge. So, all that's visible is her legs, her little arms waving around inside the sleeves – her hands are hidden inside them – and the top of the jacket. I can't even see the top of her head. 

I couldn't help but laugh, and I was laughing so hard, I was wheezing... which apparently pissed her off, because she bent over and turned, so the neck of my jacket was facing in my direction, and she yelled at me from inside my coat, where I could barely see her face in the light from the streetlamp. 

"GET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU BIG JERK!" 

Hahahahahahaha, oh god... so fucking adorable... Taan Candice, you will be mine... jesu... 

I walked up to her, still laughing, and unzipped the jacket, then figured out why it was stuck – one of the inside hooks had hung up on her purse strap, so I unclamped it and grinned at her while she scowled at me. And honest to god, she put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, then kicked me in the shin. 

And it hurt! 

"Ow! What the hell was that for??!!" I yelped as I bent down to rub the spot she'd kicked. 

"That's for laughing at me, you big jerk! It's not funny!!" 

I wanted to fall over and laugh so bad... god, she was so cute... 

"Look, I'm sorry I'm laughing, okay, but... but you're... my jacket... okay, okay, I'm sorry!!" I said quickly, as she aimed another attack at my shin. "I'll stop... I'll stop! Come on, just come back to the car, and let me get you home... come on... I'm sorry, okay? Jesu, you're adorable... sorry!!! HEY!! That was a compliment!!! No more kicking or you're going to get a spanking, young lady!!" 

I'd started leading her back to the car by the hand, and she kept aiming punts at my legs, and while they didn't hurt so much since she couldn't get a good swing while we were walking, it was becoming annoying, and I was afraid she'd entangle her foot with my calf, and we'd both fall over. I hadn't been thinking about what I was saying until after the words fell from my lips, and I realized something was wrong when I felt Candice's hand jerk out of mine because she'd stopped walking. 

I turned around to look at her, and she was staring at me like I'd grown horns, her eyes wide and rounded, her mouth dropped open, and I realized what I'd said. "Oh... oh shit... Candice... I didn't mean that... I'm sorry..." I started to walk toward her, fully expecting her to back away, but she surprised me by coming to me and wrapping her arms around my waist, then pressing the side of her face to the center of my chest. I looked down at her in astonishment and slowly slid my arms around her, then hugged her for a long moment while she held on to me. Neither of us said a word, and finally, she started to release her grip, so I did too, and she stepped back, looked up at me, her bright green eyes huge, and whispered, "I'll be a good girl..." 

I completely lost all sense of propriety, forgot I'd just met her a little over two hours ago, and picked her up in my arms, pressed her against my body, and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. She obviously didn't care because she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back with just as much ardor, and when we broke the kiss, both of us were panting. 

We stared at each other for a bit, then I gently set her on her feet, took her hand, and led her back to the car. She got in, I got in, she let me buckle her in, told me where she lived, and I drove off. Neither of us talked during the short ride – she lived about fifteen minutes from the café, which would have taken almost an hour by bus because of all of the stops in between – and once I'd found a parking space near her building, she took my hand and led me to her apartment. She invited me inside, flipped the switch to turn on the lights, then looked at me as she took off my jacket and set it on the couch. 

"I... I don't want to rush... Jungkook... I... I haven't... done anything... before, and... and I feel like... like I want to... like we... but I just don't want to rush..." She stopped talking and watched my face, and I'm sure she was wondering if I'd take my jacket and leave, and she'd never see me again, but instead, I walked over and cupped her cheek in my hand, then bent down and brushed a soft kiss over her sweet mouth. 

"I want to wait, too, Candice... I want to wait until you tell me you're ready because I feel like we could be something together..." Jungkook smiled and rubbed his thumb tip over her full bottom lip. "I still think you're adorable."


	8. A strange conversation

_**Candice's POV**_

"Aish, Jungkook, I'm not adorable!" I could feel my face blushing darkly, but I wasn't shy enough to move away from his touch or to keep from looking into his dark gaze. Now that we were out of the public eye, I felt much more comfortable – I hate being watched by strangers. I also tended to keep to myself, so I was mostly quiet, well... it's not like I'm a pushover; I just really prefer to be around people I know. I'd discovered that the university atmosphere was completely different from in my earlier school days, and I was slowly learning to open up and not be so wary about unknown people around me. However, I was still reticent... especially when I was in unfamiliar surroundings. So, now that Jungkook and I were in my apartment, where I felt safe and secure, I was willing to let him see more of my personality. 

I looked at the clock and realized that it was much earlier than I'd expected, and I looked up at him and asked, "Would you like some coffee? I'm not the best barista in the world, but I can pour a decent cappuccino." 

Jungkook smiled at me and reached for his coat, and I immediately knew he was going to tell me I was delusional, and he'd not meant what he'd said, and he would put his coat on, then walk out my door. I felt my smile flee my face, and I took a step back, preparing my heart to spend the evening alone – honest to god, I'd just met the man, and the thought of him not talking to me again hurt.

His eyebrows rose into his bangs, and he dropped the coat, stepped toward me, then wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me warmly while kissing the top of my head. "I'd love a cup, and cappuccino sounds nice. Although I normally drink it black." 

I slid my arms around his waist and inhaled his scent, the warm undertones of his cologne helping to calm my nerves. "O-okay," I stuttered, then cleared my throat and moved to step away, signaling him to release his embrace. "Geez, you'd think I'd never had a guy at my place before..." I commented as I walked into the tiny kitchen and started futzing with the espresso machine – one of my major indulgences, as it wasn't cheap, but it had proven itself well worth the cost over the year I'd had it. 

"I thought you said you hadn't done anything... um... sorry if I'm prying, you don't have to elaborate." Jungkook came to stand beside me and watched as I started the espresso brewing, then took out the milk and poured it into the small silver steaming pitcher. 

"Oh! Oh, well, I mean, I haven't done /that/ kind of thing, but a couple of my friends are guys, and they've been here. Although my friends and I don't hang out at my place, since it's so small, they're typically picking me up so we can go somewhere else." As I spoke, I felt Jungkook place his hand in the small of my back, then start to rub it up and down, almost unconsciously. I decided I had no reason to ask him why he was doing that since I was very much enjoying it, and I was afraid if I mentioned it, he'd stop. What the hell are these feelings? 

I should probably stop for a minute and explain something if you haven't figured it out. I'm a virgin. Like, as in, seriously. The first time I had a 'boyfriend' was in junior high, and neither of us was forward enough to try to go past kissing. The one time he did touch my boob through my shirt and bra had been a complete mistake, and both of us were so embarrassed, we barely spoke to each other for a week... and by the time we did talk again, we'd realized we didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend any longer. After that, I became intense about earning my scholarship. I knew I had to keep my grade point average high, and I was also completely involved with dancing. My parents rarely came to any of my recitals since they were usually out of town, and honestly, I didn't mind. 

Don't get me wrong, both of my parents supported me – they would have given me their full support if I'd told them I wanted to be a trapeze artist in a circus – but... well, that was kind of the problem. They were so interested in supporting me, no matter what I did, that it almost made it... I don't know how to express it... but it was like... oh, I don't know how to say it. It just... it felt kind of fake, I guess. Like... they just didn't care, one way or the other, so it was easier to say they supported me, then to take an interest in what I was actually doing, you know? 

Anyway, so after that boyfriend, I only dated a couple of times all during high school. I was kind of curious when I'd see other kids pairing up, but... I was so focused on dancing and the scholarship; I didn't pay much mind to the biological urges that were happening, and the idea of sweating in the backseat of someone's parent's car while they groped me was kind of gross. My parents also didn't have 'the talk' with me, although I'm not naïve - I do know about the internet, and holy cow, there is all KINDS of information about sex that you can find... and some of it, I wish I'd never seen, yikes! But, for the most part, I knew the mechanics of how it worked, knew what men's parts looked like, had checked out my own parts a couple of times in the mirror (which was just weird), but as far as doing anything, even by myself... nope.

So, as I was standing there chatting with Jungkook, and his hand was slowly inching lower until his fingertips were lightly tickling over the top of my ass cheeks, I was experiencing some things I'd never felt before. And I liked it. And while I stood there, I started thinking about some of the things I'd read about on the internet and some of the pictures I'd seen, and I began to wonder what his hands would feel like if I was naked... 

"Candice!" Jungkook said, causing me to jump slightly. 

"What?! Oh!! Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I was daydreaming... it's a bad habit of mine..." I saw that the espresso was ready, so I steamed the milk, poured Jungkook his cup of cappuccino, then started to prepare mine. Of course, when I'd come out of my reverie, Jungkook had stopped stroking me, and I found myself feeling somewhat disappointed, but I wasn't ready to say anything like 'WHY THE HELL DID YOU STOP?' Dammit. 

_**Narrator's POV**_

When Candice's drink was ready, she and Jungkook sat on the couch and chatted for a while, learning more about each other and finding they had quite a bit in common. She told him she was nineteen, and Jungkook told her he was twenty-three. He told her more about his family, that he'd met Jimin in Busan when they were kids, and when Jimin had decided to teach for a few years before becoming a professional dancer, Jungkook had decided to come to Seoul with him. Then, both of their families ended up moving to Seoul as well, and now it was like they were in Busan again. They both giggled at his silly statement.

"We're actually... um... together..." Jungkook confessed quietly, his gaze on Candice's face. 

"Oh... um... well, that's awesome... I imagine the two of you kill people with your looks when you're together..." Candice replied, then blinked her huge green eyes, a somewhat uncomfortable smile curving her perfect lips. 

"Candice?" Jungkook called to her softly as she lowered her head to look down into her empty coffee cup. 

"Mmm?" She hummed in response, then blinked again when he tucked his fingertips under her chin and tilted her head up so she would look at him. 

"Jimin and I... well... we... when I tell him I met you, he..." Jungkook cleared his throat and swallowed, then murmured, "this is such a strange conversation to have with someone I just met." 

Candice smiled and reached up to pat his cheek softly. "It's all right, Jungkook, you don't have to tell me any more... I... I can figure it out on my own. I might be a virgin, but I'm not stupid." She gently took his empty cup from him and stood up, then went into the kitchen to rinse the mugs at the sink. There was an opening in the wall so anyone in the kitchen could see into the living room, and vice versa, but she studiously avoided looking at Jungkook as he sat on the couch. 

"Candice..." Jungkook said as she finished rinsing the cups and set them in the wire drainer. 

She kept her face lowered, her hair conveniently falling forward to shield her expression, and she whispered, "Yes?" She fully expected him to tell her he needed to leave, and she was desperately trying to keep herself from breaking down into tears. 

"This is... it's strange because... well... because Jimin and I... um... we're both... eh... bisexual..." Jungkook stopped talking and held his breath while he waited to see what Candice's reaction to that revelation would be. 

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Can I just tell you that I hate the beginning of a relationship of any kind? There is always such a high possibility of misunderstandings that could sink a friendship before it even gets started, and it's hard to know what someone else is going to think about something you say. So, when I tell you that I was highly nervous about how Candice would take what I told her about Jimin and me, I'm not kidding. 

The thing is, it shouldn't matter. I just met this girl, and while yes, I am intrigued and drawn to her, it's not like it would be the end of the world if she rejected me. But... but there is just something about her. I want to get to know her in every way possible. And I want her and Jimin to get to know each other, too... because I think the three of us together would be mind-blowing. 

Of course, I don't know about the mind-blowing thing for a fact, but he and I have the same taste in girls, and I think she is perfect. And, since he and she already know each other, even better. I'm sure if I mention to him that I've met her, he's going to tell me that he thinks she's perfect too, although he's never actually initiated a threesome between the two of us and a girl. To be fair, I haven't either. I mean, he and I have talked about it on and off over the years, but we never found someone who felt like they'd fit. 

You have to find someone who isn't going to get jealous, or squicked out about certain things, or thinks a man and a woman constitute a family, and nothing else would work. And believe me, finding someone like that, who both of us are attracted to, has been impossible. 

I can't imagine that he isn't attracted to her, and the way she talked about him when she spoke about his dancing leads me to believe that she's highly attracted to him, and she and I... well... now I've told her about him and me, and I can't decide if I think she's going to be disgusted and kick me out of her apartment, or... maybe be what we've been searching for. 

I watched as she stood at the sink for a few long moments, then she lifted her head and looked directly at me. Contacts... that green has to be contacts... fuck... and then she smiled shyly, came around the counter, and walked over to the couch. Before I could process what she was doing, she climbed onto my lap and snuggled against me, then whispered, "I... that's... are you saying what I think you're saying?" 

I wrapped my arms around her waist and cuddled her close, a smile in my voice as I whispered back, "I think so... first, I'd want you to get to know me and make sure I'm someone you'd want to be intimate with... but, Jiminie is my boyfriend, and I won't stop being with him. So, you'd have to decide, if I were someone you'd want to be with, if he's someone you'd want to be with, too... or if not that, then you'd have to be okay with me seeing him." 

Candice hummed softly as she lightly picked at the front of my shirt with her small fingers. "Okay... I... I don't have any weird feelings about the two of you being boyfriends, and I don't think it's weird that people have threesomes... but yes, I do want to get to know you a lot better before I make any kind of decision..." 

_**Candice's POV**_

Well, that was interesting, to say the least. If I told you that I wasn't surprised by the revelation Jungkook had made regarding his and Jimin's relationship, I'd be lying. I mean, yes, he'd said they were close, but I thought he meant like best friends, not boyfriends. I wasn't lying when I said that I don't have any bad feelings about it or that I think it's weird when people have polyamorous relationships... I don't know if it's just because I wasn't around anyone who had a monogamous relationship very often. 

As I said, my parents were gone a lot, and the people who came to watch me were... well, eventually, when I started researching sex on the internet, I finally figured out what had been going on in the other room while I was growing up... my 'babysitters' were whores... that might seem mean, but honestly, when someone brings a different guy in the house almost every night... and usually when they're drunk or stoned, what else would you call them? 

When I got older, I started to recognize what was happening, and I was relieved when my parents decided I didn't need a minder anymore, especially since as I grew older, the 'babysitters' boyfriends started to pay more attention to me. I'm pretty sure I would have been prey at some point. 

My parents didn't have a poly relationship, but they also weren't around enough for me to form any set ideas about how things went, so... the idea of me and Jungkook and Jimin didn't freak me out. I think the idea of Jungkook and me freaked me out more, simply because I had no idea what it would be like. I mean, pictures and videos can only give you so much experience. 

Anyway, we spent the next few hours sitting on the couch with me in his lap, chatting and watching a movie. And then I thought it was getting kind of late, and even though tomorrow was Saturday, I imagined Jungkook would have plans, and I didn't want him to be half-asleep while he was doing them. 

"It's getting kind of late, Kookie; I should let you go home," I said as I started to get up from his lap.

"Mmm, but I'm enjoying this," he replied as he tightened his hold on me and wouldn't let me move. 

I laughed softly and pinched his cheek gently. "I'm enjoying it too, except it's late, and you should go..." 

Jungkook blinked, then offered me a sheepish grin. "Oh, right, yes, you probably have something to do tomorrow and don't want to be sleepy... sorry about that, but yes, I should probably get going..." 

"I don't have any plans," I blurted, then clamped my mouth shut. God, why would I say that? Now he's going to feel obligated to stay longer, or maybe even ask me to join his plans tomorrow. Great going, Candice. 

"Oh? Mmm, I don't either..." Jungkook looked at the clock, then back at me. "It's not too late; why don't you let me take you out for dinner?" 

I was just getting ready to decline, except my stomach decided it needed to put in its two cents, and it growled. "Um... no, it's okay, I have ramen..." I still didn't want him to go out of his way for me, mostly since – HELLO, WE ONLY MET A FEW HOURS AGO!!!! 

Jungkook rolled his eyes and tickled my sides lightly, causing me to giggle. "Ramen. That's fine and all, but let me take you out for a delicious dinner because I want to spend more time with you, and I'm afraid if we stay here, I might get ideas..." He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I laughed. 

"Oh, fine... let me go change clothes and brush my hair... what should I wear?" He let me up from his lap, and I walked over to the ladder that led to the sleeping loft. I live in a tiny one bedroom-one bathroom flat, and when I say tiny, I mean teeny-tiny... still, whoever designed the place did a great job, and it doesn't feel as small as it is. I did discover something that hadn't occurred to me, and that was the transparent glass wall that let light in from the loft window into the living room... and allowed Jungkook to see me undress, without me realizing it. 

I know you're wondering how I never paid attention to this when my friends came over, but as I told Jungkook, they were always coming to pick me up so we could go somewhere, and I was always ready and waiting downstairs when they showed up. So, as I stood there in my loft, in my bra and panties, while I perused the minimal clothing I had in my small dresser for something pretty to wear for dinner, Jungkook drooled all over himself. 

Actually, I don't know he did that because I saw him, since it still hadn't crossed my mind that he could see me, but he did confess it to me later after we'd known each other a bit longer and had started to become intimate. I couldn't decide if I was embarrassed or mad at him for not letting me know, but when he told me, he was looking at my naked self, so being angry or embarrassed just seemed silly. 

I looked out the window to see if I could tell what the weather was doing, but, duh Candi, it's dark, eesh... so, I picked the dark green sweater dress I'd purchased recently, a pair of black leggings, and my favorite short, black boots. They had a little bit of a heel on them, so I wouldn't feel quite so small while I walked beside Jungkook... hah, who am I kidding? He's a giant compared to me, I could wear six-inch heels, and I'd still be short.

Of course, putting on my clothes gave him more of a show, considering the contortions I had to perform to pull up my leggings, and since I wasn't paying attention to him watching, I put my boots on before I put on my dress... and I'm not necessarily very lady-like when I do that... so, he got a perfect view of my legging-clad ass and legs while I bent over. He also told me, when he confessed that he'd watched my little private show, that he'd had to grip the seat of the couch to keep himself from flying up the loft ladder to ravish me in my bed. 

I slipped into the dress, then climbed down the ladder to go into the restroom, so I could brush out my hair, use a quick spritz of my favorite perfume, and refresh my makeup – I'd washed my face at Aunt Seoyeon's cafe, since I'd looked like a bedraggled raccoon (waterproof mascara wasn't part of my repertoire yet) – and voila, I was ready. I picked up my purse, slung it across my body, then looked at Jungkook, and blinked. "Uh... Jungkook? Are you okay?" 

He was sitting stock still on my couch, his gorgeous face wearing the blandest expression I'd ever seen on anyone, and... he was sitting on his hands? 

As soon as I spoke to him, he took a breath – wait, had he been holding his breath for long? - and stood up, then squeaked – yes, he fucking squeaked, "I need to use your restroom; I'll be out in a moment." 

"Um... okay," I replied as I stepped out of his way, thinking it must be the tea and coffee needing to come out. But no, apparently, he'd had to adjust himself in his pants because he'd gotten so hard watching me do my little legging dance. Which I found out when he told me about the rest of it. 

He came out a few minutes later, looking highly relieved and with a beautiful smile on his face, but he frowned slightly when he looked at me. "Where is your coat, Candi?" 

"I told you, Kookie, I don't have one..." I replied, then offered him a sheepish smile. "I had one, but... I gave it to someone who needed it more than I did, and... I don't want to buy a new one because it's not going to be cold for that much longer..."


	9. Two sassy babies

_**Jungkook's POV**_

Breathe, Jungkook. Breathe and don't do what you're thinking. Fuck, she's... goddammit. 

At first, I thought Candice was teasing me on purpose, trying to see if she could break my resolve, which would have made me angry since she was the one who'd said she wanted to wait. In fact, I probably would have picked up my coat and walked out of her apartment without a backward glance if she'd been doing that. But I could tell by the way she wasn't looking over her shoulder to see if I was watching, or making any exaggerated movements, that she honestly had no idea I could see her. 

I wanted to know who the hell designed this apartment, because who builds a bedroom loft with a transparent wall? Part of me was wishing to meet the person so I could shake his or her hand and thank them for the gorgeous peep show I was currently enjoying, and the other part of me wanted to bloody their nose for the same reason. Because, you know, if I'm seeing it, I'm sure other people have seen it too... like, her other guy friends. Except I can't imagine that her girlfriends wouldn't have told her they could see her... hm... so, do I ask her about it when she comes back down and ruin the chance of seeing her up there like that again... holy fuck, what the hell is she doing now??? 

Jesu... she's putting on her boots... look at her legs and... fuck... oh god, I'm so fucking hard, it hurts... having her sitting in my lap while we watched the movie was difficult, but she isn't a squirmy girl, so I was able to deal with it, but shit... no... Jungkook... grab the seat... no... sit on your hands... yes, that's good... deep breaths... god, my mouth... I want to... ngh... oh thank god, she's finally dressed... I swear to god that took an hour... (it took ten minutes, fifteen tops). Of course, when she came down the ladder, I nearly leapt off the couch to shove my face under her dress and bite her ass through her leggings and panties, but I wisely refrained and instead asked to use the bathroom. Well, more like wheezed. I don't think I've ever made a noise like that before, even with Jimin, and he's fucking hot, too. 

Anyway, so now I've regained my composure, my lower half has decided to take a rest (thank god), and I'm finding out that Candice doesn't have a coat... because it won't be cold for that much longer... 

"It's January fifth, Candice; it will be cold enough for a coat until April." I couldn't help getting a bit angry, and I placed my hands on my hips while I unconsciously scowled at her. 

Candice blinked, swallowed, then whispered, "I... I'll go to the mall and get one tomorrow... Kookie..." 

"Fuck... Candi... come here, baby..." What is this girl doing to me? I have lost all sense of decorum, and I don't care, and if she cares, she's not saying anything. I slid my arms around her tiny waist, pulled her close, then kissed her. The same kind of kiss we'd shared next to the car. The one that she returned with abandon and was doing again. Dammit. I want her. I can tell she wants me. But I don't want to rush; I want her first time to be special, and not just because I want to fuck her. I mean, that's not what I want to do, I mean it is, but... fuck, I can't even think straight. 

I broke the kiss before my hands had the chance to roam down and squeeze her perfect ass because I knew if I did that, I'd be lost. And as much as she said she wants to wait, I can tell by the way she's clinging to me, if I pushed it, she'd give in. 

I pressed my forehead against hers with my eyes closed and murmured, "You'll wear my coat to dinner, baby... no arguments..." I'd felt her start to take a breath to speak and stopped her words. "And I'll take you shopping tomorrow... if you don't mind? I'd... I'd like to spend the day with you." 

_**Candice's POV**_

I have never felt this way before. Does it get better? He kind of scared me when he scolded me about my coat, but he didn't ask who I gave it to, so at least he doesn't think I'm a complete idiot. But even though I was a little afraid, I felt this heat in my belly... no, lower... I guess that's what it meant when someone said 'they'd awakened' in the books I'd read online...? And then he kissed me. I... I want more of those. Like... lots more... like... I don't want to go to dinner; I want to have him take me up to my bed and kiss me like that for hours... except imagining him trying to carry me up the ladder makes me giggle. Okay, so maybe we can go up the ladder on our own, but then... kisses... lots and lots of kisses... and whatever else happens... mmph... 

I almost whimpered when he stopped, but he didn't let me go, he just held me and said he wants to spend the day with me tomorrow and take me shopping... oh god, I can't... I can't let him know how broke I am... I can't let him think I want him to buy things for me; I don't want him to think I'm a gold digger... no, now Candice, he said he'd take you shopping, that doesn't mean he automatically expects to pay for whatever you buy, give the guy a break. I mean, he doesn't seem like he wants to keep you from being independent, right? Geez, I wish I'd had other boyfriends, so I knew how to feel about all of this. 

What if he finds out what a cheapskate I am and decides I'm a waste of his time? Or he tries to buy me something too expensive? How could I even say yes to that? How would I be able to say no??

Stop. Candice, stop. Just... just go to dinner and enjoy his company. Don't worry about tomorrow until it happens. For now... just picture yourself at some restaurant, sitting across from this God... mmm... okay... that's... yeah... 

"Um... Candi?" Jungkook whispered, dragging me back to reality. 

"Hm?" I hummed in response as the vision of his face floated in front of my closed eyes. 

"It's okay if you don't want to see me tomorrow; I know it might be too soon to be together that much..." 

I could feel my lips smiling, could tell I had a blissful look on my face, but when Jungkook's words registered, I blinked open my eyes and raised my eyebrows. "What? Why would you think that?" 

Jungkook blinked back, then smiled. "Well, because when I asked if you minded, you didn't answer... and it's been a few minutes... I thought you were trying to think of a nice way to tell me no..." 

"Oh, gosh!! No, I want to! I just... um... well, your... uh... oh god, I'm such a ninny... of course, I want to see you tomorrow, and yes, you can take me shopping, and I'd love to spend the day with you, doing whatever you want to do with me... I mean... um... well... but..." My brain took a hiatus, and words stopped coming out of my mouth while I stood there and kept opening and closing it, like a fish out of water. 

Jungkook started laughing and hugged me, then gently patted my bottom. "You're too freaking adorable, Candi-ah. All right, let me help you into my coat... I'm sorry, honey, I just can't... I can't help but laugh... you really need to look at yourself in the mirror... oh god..." 

I aimed a kick at Jungkook's shin, then turned and looked in the full-length mirror I'd hung on the back of the restroom door. "Oh... oh geez, Kookie, I DO LOOK LIKE A LITTLE KID!!!! Oh my god, I can't go to a restaurant like this!" 

Jungkook was snickering and had sat back down on the couch so he wouldn't collapse to the floor, and before either of us was aware of what he was going to do, he'd grabbed the back of my legs, pulled me toward him to stand between his, then slid his hands up my thighs to my butt cheeks, and squeezed both of them, while pressing his face against the front of my dress. I could feel his hot breath wafting through my clothes and heating my nethers, and I slid my hands into his hair. He tilted his head back and rested his chin against my belly, his pupils huge as he murmured, "I want you very badly, Taan Candice... but... I want to wait, so you'll know this isn't just a one-night stand. So..." he released my cheeks, stood up from the couch, zipped up the coat so I was pretty much muffled in it, then took my hand and led me toward my front door. "Let's go to dinner, ne?" 

I nodded my head, he nodded his, and we walked out. 

He took me to a nice, but not too expensive, seafood restaurant, where we enjoyed great food and lots of alcohol, then had an Uber pick us up and take us to my apartment - he said he'd pick his car up tomorrow before he came to get me. I asked if he wanted to stay the night, and he said yes, but then said he wouldn't since it was just our first date, and he didn't want me to think I wasn't special to him. And then, he pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to my cheek, lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, and walked back to the Uber. He'd taken his coat with him, so I stood on my doorstep and shivered while I watched him get in the car and drive away, and as I walked back into my apartment, I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized... 

I hadn't given him my phone number, nor had he offered me his... well, that was brilliant, Candice. At least if he doesn't call me, I can pretend it's because he doesn't know my digits. 

I wasn't sure how I felt about any of what had happened since he'd rescued me from the cold pavement, and as I undressed and made myself ready for bed, I waffled between bewilderment, sadness, and hopefulness. Oh well, I won't know which one to feel for sure until tomorrow comes, so... no point in worrying about it. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, snuggled into my warm PJs, then crawled into my bed. 

And sat straight up as I looked at the clear glass wall from my bed to the living room... flopping back on my bed, I groaned and shook my head. "Well... if nothing else, he got a free show... oh my god, why didn't I think about that earlier? Aish..." 

_**Narrator’s POV**_

Jungook looked at his phone when he walked into the house while he shrugged out of his coat and hung it on the hook beside the door. Stepping out of his shoes, he put on his house slippers, then called Jimin. 

Jungkook: "Hey, baby, how was your practice"

Jimin: "Hi, Kookie! It was good; I just got home, a couple of the other dancers and I went to dinner. I meant to call and invite you, but I got distracted." 

Jungkook chuckled: "It’s all right, Jiminie... I... met someone you know today." 

Jimin: "… oh? Who?" 

Jungkook: "She’s one of your scholarship students... Taan Candice..." 

Jimin: "Oh, you mean Candi?!! How did you meet her?" 

Jungkook: "I found her outside in the rain, so I took her to Aunt Seyeon’s café. Of course, Auntie Seyeon put her in dry clothes, fed her warm porridge, and fussed over her like a lost kitten. God, Jimin, she’s adorable." 

Jimin giggled: "Aunt Seyeon is adorable?" 

Jungkook laughed: "No Candi is adorable. And, fuck, Minnie... I want to eat her up..." 

By this time, Jungkook had gone up to his room and was lying on his back on the bed, a silly grin curving his lips. 

Jimin: "Mmm... she does look delicious, doesn’t she?" 

Jungkook: "Oooh, so you’ve been paying attention, ne?" 

Jimin: "Hell, yes... she has no idea how appealing she is, which makes her even more appealing. And when she dances, she completely loses herself in it. You’ll have to come to the class and watch her, soon." 

Jungkook: "I’ll do that... in the meantime, I, uh... well, I spent the evening with her... I mean, not in bed or anything; she’s a virgin..." 

Jimin: "If you didn’t go to bed with her, how do you know she’s a virgin?" 

Jungkook: "Hm, well..." 

Jungkook proceeded to explain what had happened since he’d encountered Candice sitting on the pavement in the freezing rain, including why she’d admitted to being inexperienced, and the fact that Jungkook had told her about his relationship with Jimin, and her reaction to the news. He wasn’t entirely sure how the beautiful male dancer would take the information, and he breathed a sigh of relief when his boyfriend cooed. 

Jimin: "Ohhh... so, she sounds interested, ne? With time, we’ll see what develops, if anything." 

Jungkook: "Mhm. I want her, Jiminie; my heart claimed her for you and me." 

Jimin: "My goodness, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say that. Well, it’s a good thing you feel that way because I was trying to figure out how to ask her on a date, except the troupe doesn’t want dancers in relationships because of the problems that can arise when there are issues. This could solve that little dilemma." 

Jungkook: "Mhm... and the uni doesn’t care if I date a student, since I’m not a full-fledge professor yet... and with luck, by the time I am, Candi will be ours, and it will be a moot point." 

Jimin laughed: "Oh my god, Koo, listen to us... we’re talking about her like she’s a commodity. Although I do have to say, I hope everything does work out... maybe she’d even be willing to have children with us."

Jungkook: "Hm, you know, I hadn’t thought about that yet, we’ll see... she hasn’t had the best life, so I don’t know how she feels about having kids, but from what she told me, she made the best out of what she had, so... and oh my god, she is stubborn!!!" 

Jimin: "What do you mean? She’s always perfectly polite in class." 

Jungkook told Jimin about the coat and the seat belt incidents, unable to keep himself from breaking out in giggles while he did so. Jimin had been in the car and fought with the automatic seat belt himself, so he could imagine how shocking that must have been for the girl, and he started giggling too. 

Jimin: "She definitely sounds sassier than she is in class; it will be interesting to see how she acts around me in a less formal setting." 

Jungkook: "I think Candi won’t spare you, and I think you’ll find her every bit as adorable as I do, even when she’s sassy. Oh, and I’m taking her shopping tomorrow... can you believe she doesn’t have a coat? When I found her, she was wearing leggings, a thin tee-shirt, and a sweater. I’m sure that was somewhat warm enough when it wasn’t raining... well, maybe... hm... I’m going to have to try to get a peek at her wardrobe and see what else she needs..." 

Jimin: "How can she not have a coat? Did she just move here and not realize what the weather is like in January? Oh, wait, no, she was in my class last year, too... and last year, she had a coat... I wonder what happened to it and why she didn’t get another." 

Jungkook: "She said she gave it to someone who needed it more than she did, and I didn’t think to ask her more about that, but when I asked her why she hadn’t purchased another, she said because it wouldn’t be cold for that much longer. Aish." 

Jimin: "Not that much longer??? Oh my god, it won’t start warming up until April!" 

Jungkook: "That’s what I told her! And then, I told her I was taking her shopping tomorrow, and she argued with me. Jiminie... she melts when I scold her." 

Jimin: "Wait, what??" 

Jungkook: "I don’t know what it is, but I she brings out this feeling in me when she's being stubborn... so I scolded her three times last night because of her attitude, and every time, she just stopped whatever it was she was doing, looked at me with her big, green eyes, then hugged me. She even fucking told me she’d be a good girl. Jesu. If we hadn’t been standing on the street when she said that, she wouldn’t be a virgin anymore..." 

Jimin chuckled: "I can’t wait to get to know her better. In the meantime, I need to soak in the bath; I’m sore from practice." 

Jungkook: "Okay, baby, go relax and pamper yourself; I’m sorry I’m not there to do it for you." 

Jimin: "It’s okay, jagiya; we knew we weren’t going to see each other much at all for the next two weeks, because of the show. Hey, maybe you and Candi could come to the performance together, if the two of you are still hitting it off." 

Jungkook: "Oh, that’s a great idea; I’ll see what she thinks. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled." 

Jimin yawned: "Mhm. Okay, honey, I love you, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow."

Jungkook: "Love you more, baby... hey, so... if things happen quicker than I expect, since it seems like it might, do you mind if I call you if I’m with Candice?" 

Jimin: "I don’t mind at all, if she doesn’t. I think it would be fun to tease her a bit while we’re on the phone."

Jungkook: Uh oh, two sassy babies, what will I do?? 

Jimin's voice lowered and became caramel warm: "You know what I’d want you to do to me, Daddy..." 

Jungkook growled: :Mhm... once this performance is over, baby, I’ll make sure you get everything you want..." 

Jimin: "Mmm, Daddy, I can’t wait. I love you, talk to you soon. Goodnight. Dream of me." 

Jungkook: "I love you from the Earth to the Moon, sweetheart. Goodnight, I will. Sleep well."


	10. You brought me flowers?

**_Candice's_ ** **_POV_ ** **_– Saturday Morning_ **

Oh my god, I have no idea what time Jungkook is supposed to come over; how the hell did I agree to meet him without asking when?? Is he going to be here soon? It's... hm, okay, it's six-thirty in the morning; I doubt there are any stores open this early, so I can't imagine he'll suddenly show up. 

But what if he wants to take me to breakfast?? Oh my god, I need to get up and get ready... maybe I should eat some toast and drink some coffee while I'm waiting. No, coffee will make me nervous, and my god, you'd think I was back in junior high and waiting for someone to pick me up for a dance. 

I didn't pay that much attention to guys, but I did like to go to the school dances, so my friends would come by my house and get me, then we'd all go together. I was always excited to see my friends and what they'd be wearing, and show off my clothes, then get to the gymnasium where most of the student parties were held so that I could dance the night away. There were a few guys who were really good, and we'd pair up, then show off. 

So, I was always nervous and excited while I waited for my friends to arrive, and usually ready at least an hour ahead of time – which amused the hell out of a couple of my 'minders,' but I ignored them. 

Okay, so no coffee... maybe some barley tea... or hot cocoa... oh wait; first I should take a shower and get dressed, just in case he does show up soon. Hm... should I wear makeup? Like, just a little? Yes, I think I should. 

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting at my tiny kitchen table drinking a cup of cocoa and eating a piece of peanut butter toast while staring intently at the door. I was concentrating, trying to will the tall, dark-haired young man to knock, but so far, it wasn't working. I'd chosen to wear a pair of dark grey leggings, a long, cowl-necked dark green sweater that hung down to my thighs and was more like a dress, and a pair of grey, knee-high lace-up boots. 

Why the heck didn't I get his phone number? Oh wait, I could call Auntie Seoyeon; I bet she'd give it to me! Uh... except if I did that and then I called him, it would make me look clingy... or like a stalker. Hm. Oh wait, I have Mr. Park's phone number for emergencies; I could call and ask... um... no, that would be even worse. And what if they spent the night together after Jungkook left here? Oh my god, how awkward would that be? 

I can just hear the convo now: "Uh, hi Mr. Park, good morning, do you happen to have Jungkook's phone number? He's supposed to take me shopping today, but we forgot to exchange phone numbers." "Oh, well, he's here right now, if you want to talk to him... mmm Kook, that girl is on the phone for you..."

Heh, yeah, nope, I'm not calling him. That would be so embarrassing. I'm sure he'll be here soon. 

Four hours later, I was on my bed in the loft, cuddling my stuffed unicorn while crying softly. 

"He... he is a very busy and popular guy, you idiot, of course, he wouldn't really come to take you shopping... he just said that because he was pretending to be nice, he doesn't care that you don't have a coat... he doesn't care if you freeze to death when you're walking around with only a sweater on. He was only nice to you so he could show his Aunt, and she'd tell his Mom." I hiccupped, sniffled, then slowly cried myself to sleep. 

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

Shit! I never asked Candice for her phone number!! Hm, I wonder if Jimin has it, he usually has the contact info for all of his students; I'll see if he can find it. 

Well, shit, he's not answering, which means he's either trying to get more sleep, or he's already at practice and not on a break. Dammit! I completely forgot I had a breakfast date with my family!! God, she will be so mad at me... well, at least I didn't tell her what time I'd be over, so maybe she'll think I don't plan to come until later, like lunchtime or something. 

I will definitely get her phone number today and give her mine. I can't believe I'm such a pabo... but I blame her; she completely frazzled my brain. I should have made love to her, then I could think straight! Hm... okay, probably not; I'm pretty sure once I touch her, I'm going to become a blithering idiot... 

Okay, well, Candi-ah, I hope you're not waiting for me, but I won't be too long if you are. 

**_Time Skip Jungkook's POV – Noon_ **

Well, fuck, if I had known my parents had invited the rest of my family because we were celebrating a couple of birthdays, I'd have bought presents, and told Candi what time I'd be at her place; I know she's wondering if I'm even going to show up. 

Jesu, Jungkook, nothing even happened, and she probably feels like a one-night stand because she thinks you blew her off! 

**_Narrator's POV_ **

Jungkook sat at the light, tapping the steering wheel impatiently, although he was careful not to peel out when it turned green. He arrived at Candice's apartment, grabbed the massive bouquet he'd purchased for her to make up for being so late, then hopped out of the car and ran to the building. She lived on the third floor in one of the building's inner wings, so he knew she wouldn't be able to see the street to realize he'd pulled up. 

He cursed the stupid elevator for being slow, although it wasn't too bad, he was just in a hurry, then ran down the hallway to her door. Stopping in front of it, he took a deep breath, ran his hand through his hair, then rang her doorbell. And waited. For about a minute. Then he rang her doorbell again. And knocked. 

"Candice? Candi, are you home? Can you hear me? I'm here, Candi-ah, open the door!" 

Jungkook was trying not to be too loud, as he didn't want to disturb any of her neighbors, but he also didn't want to keep standing in the corridor if she had gone out. 

A few seconds later, the door partially opened, although he couldn't see Candice, as she was standing behind it. "Candi?" He called softly. 

"I... I'm not feeling well... Mr. Jeon..." Candice replied, her voice soft and shaky, "I'm... I'm sorry you... you had to come... all the way over... I... I can't see... see you today..." 

He saw the door start to close, but he quickly wedged his toe in, hoping she wasn't the kind of girl to promptly slam the door against his foot. 

"Candi? Honey, are you sick from dinner last night? Can I go to the pharmacy and get you some medicine? What do you need, baby?" For the moment, Jungkook had forgotten he was talking to someone he'd met just yesterday, as whenever Jimin felt sick, Jungkook became incredibly nurturing and sweet. Well, and he was head over heels for this girl. 

"Please... Mr. Jeon... I'll be okay, just... I... I don't feel too good..." Candice stood behind the door, pushing at the handle, although not roughly enough to hurt Jungkook's toes. She'd come down from the loft in tears and was now trying desperately to keep from sobbing loudly enough for him to hear her. However, it was a losing battle, and she hitched a breath through her teeth, then sniffled. 

Jungkook blinked, then put his shoulder against the door and pushed, hard enough to widen the opening, but not so hard as to hurt the girl standing behind it. "Candi, baby... let me in... come on, honey, it's okay, sweetheart..." He managed to get the gap large enough for him to slip in, and he immediately turned his head and looked at her. And melted into a puddle of mush. "Oh my god, Candi, honey, you poor thing... I'm so sorry, baby, come here... aww, my sweet girl, shh... hush, honey, it's okay... I'm here now... I'm sorry I'm late, and I didn't get your number last night or give you mine, but I'm here now... shhhh..." 

He'd slid an arm around her shoulders, then slowly walked her toward the couch before sitting down and pulling her into his lap. Setting the flowers on the sofa beside him, he snuggled Candice while she gripped the front of his coat and pressed her face against the side of his neck, then started to cry in earnest again. 

He was wearing a wool coat today, so she could get closer to him without feeling like he was the Michelin man, and she squirmed around in his lap until she was facing him and straddling his legs, then clung to him like a baby. At the same time, she wept and blubbered about him being so late, and she had decided he wasn't coming after all, and she couldn't afford a coat, and she didn't want him to buy her stuff because she didn't want him to think she wanted him for his money and she thought that's why he didn't come back. 

"Oh, my goodness, you sweet little thing... shhh, honey... it's all right, sweetie, I'm here now..." Jungkook held her, one hand under her butt, the other rubbing up and down her back to soothe her. "Ah, cutie pie, you're adorable... sweet, sweet thing, shh... calm down, honey... I'm here now, and everything is okay... and I'm taking you shopping, and there will be no arguing when I decide to buy you something... in fact, I want to see what clothes you have so that I can buy you more... now, no; no arguing, I already told you, none of that..." 

Eventually, Candice calmed down enough to relax, and she let herself rest in Jungkook's arms, content in his embrace. "I... I'm s-sorry... J-J-J-Jung-k-k-k-kookie..." She hiccupped. 

Jungkook chuckled and hugged her, then nuzzled her forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for, sweetie... this was all a misunderstanding – I had plans for breakfast with my family this morning, and I completely forgot about it, and it turned out to be birthday celebrations, and since I'm an idiot and didn't get your phone number, I couldn't let you know. I'm the one who should be apologizing. Well, and I am... I brought you flowers and kisses..." 

"You brought me flowers?" Candice replied, then lifted her head to see the bouquet on the seat beside them. "Oh, they're beautiful, I'll put them in water before we leave... but... but first, I want kisses..." She leaned back slightly and blinked her green eyes at Jungkook, and he marveled again at the bright color of them. 

"You shouldn't cry like that, sweetheart; it will make your contacts hurt your eyes..." He grinned at her. "And your mascara run..." 

Candice gasped and quickly climbed off his lap, then ran into the bathroom. "Oh no! Aish, I knew it was better to splurge on the waterproof stuff; that's what I get for going cheap!! Oh god, I look like a raccoon!!! And I don't wear contacts." She'd left the door open, so Jungkook sat on the couch and watched her as she pulled her hair into a messy bun, then washed her face. She checked herself in the mirror, shook her head, then turned around to come back out while commenting, "Great, now I look like I have a cold..." And then she looked at him and came to a complete halt. "Um..." 

Jungkook was sitting on his hands again and biting his bottom lip, while his face wore a dark expression. 

"Uh... Jungkookie? Did I... do something... or say something... wrong?" Her eyes widened when she saw him moving his hands from under his thighs. 

"Come here," he growled at her, causing a shiver to inch down her spine. 

"But..." she sputtered. 

"I said, come here..." he commanded, as he unbuttoned his coat and opened it. He was wearing a burgundy-colored turtleneck sweater, a pair of black slacks, and black boots, and he looked fucking incredible, in Candice's humble opinion. 

"I... but Koo..." 

"Candice... I hate repeating myself..." Jungkook's voice was low and heavy, and Candice felt her core begin to melt. 

She blinked and nodded her head, then stepped toward him, unsure of his intentions until he patted his thighs. 

"Sit, baby... like you were before..." He was barely whispering now, but the room was so quiet, the mood so tense, it was as if he'd shouted, and she quickly did as he said, straddling his thighs, then pressing herself against him, while she slid her arms around his neck. 

"Fuccckkkkkk..." Jungkook breathed as he wrapped his arms around her small frame, held her tightly, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He slid his hands down, cupped her ass in his palms, and pulled her close so she could feel his need for her throbbing against her nethers, through their clothes. "This... this is what you do to me, baby... you make me want to throw you on the floor and fuck you until you can't see straight... and eat your sweet pussy until you can't remember your name... fuck... you make me fucking crazy... how the hell did you do this to me so fast?" 

Candice gulped, then wiggled against him, pushing herself as thoroughly against him as she possibly could. She had her cheek pressed against his neck, and she gasped, "I don't know, Jungkookie, but I... I want..." 

She didn't say anything else, and he didn't reply. He didn't do anything except hold her like that for a long few minutes, very slightly grinding his hips so she could feel how hard he was. Finally, he calmed down, softened his grip on her butt, and then gently rubbed her cheeks, his tension dissipating. 

"I do too, Candi-ah, but... but I want to take my time when we don't have any other plans... but, you need a coat and some new clothes, and I need to spoil you as my apology for making you cry... pretty baby... I'm very sorry I'm such a pabo... here are some kisses..." He became his warm, soft self again and began to drop little smooches all over her face, causing her to giggle. 

"It's okay, Kookie-ah... I... I kind of get emotional, really easily..." Candice blushed and lowered her eyes, but he tipped her head up with his fingertip under her chin. "I'm kinda known as the drama queen among my group of friends..." 

"I don't mind, baby..." He met her gaze with his, studying her face, then murmured, "You don't wear contacts? Your eyes are the most beautiful shade of green I've ever seen." 

Candice slow-blinked at him, smiled a cute little smile, and replied, "My mom had eyes like this... my dad said it's what caught his notice at first." 

"Mmm, I can understand why... alright, baby, put your flowers in water, get your shoes on, and let's go... did you eat yet?" Jungkook helped her get off his lap, then patted her bottom when she bent to pick up the flowers. "Such a cute little butt... round and plump, just the way I like it..." 

Candice eeped and blushed, then sidled toward the kitchen. "Aish, you're making me all shy, and I'm usually not!" She found a large water pitcher, stuck the flowers in it, then filled it with water and placed it on her small kitchen table. 

"How can you say you're not shy?" Jungkook replied, grinning. "Yesterday, you hardly said a thing to me at first!" He watched her set the pitcher down and tilted his head. "Don't you have a vase?" 

"I'm not shy, I was just... well, I don't really like meeting new people, so I try to be as inconspicuous as possible, and you were the only person who paid any attention to me, so it had been working..." She looked at the flowers, then back at Jungkook. "I don't have one, but that works fine." 

Jungkook shook his head and stood up, then took her hand and pulled her close to him, so he could wrap his arms around her shoulders and hold her close. "Well, I'm glad I was paying attention, then, and I'm going to try to make you shy as much as possible – you're terribly adorable when you blush." He chuckled when she obliged him by blushing more deeply, then brushed a warm kiss over her forehead. "And I thought all girls have a bunch of vases, my mom has at least twenty, and she's told us not to buy her flowers in vases anymore because she has too many. Hm... I bet she'd give me one to give to you." 

Candice shrugged her shoulders, then gently extricated herself from Jungkook's embrace before climbing the ladder to the loft to retrieve her boots. She climbed back down, then sat on the sofa to put them on while he sat beside her and watched with intrigue while she laced them up. "No-one buys me flowers, and any time I pick some up for myself, I just use a glass – I don't usually get such a big bouquet for me." 

"Mmm," Jungkook hummed, "well, you're going to have to get used to me bringing you flowers regularly, although it won't be because I've made you cry... at least, not all the time." He grinned and winked at her as she rolled her eyes. "Where do you keep your clothes, baby? I want to see what you have." 

"Aw, I have enough clothes, and I don't have anywhere to put any new ones, even if I wanted them..." she replied, as she lowered her head and picked lightly at the hem of her sweater. 

"Candice," Jungkook murmured, "what did I say about repeating myself?" 

Candice pooched out her bottom lip, then whined, "You said you don't like doing it, but... but Jungkookie, we... I mean, you don't even know me; what if I make you buy me a bunch of stuff, then act like I don't know you anymore?" 

Jungkook chuckled and lightly tugged on the scrunchy holding her thick hair in the bun, pulling it out and letting her soft, blond locks fall around her shoulders, then down her back. He sat forward on the couch and shrugged out of his coat, sat back again, then whispered, "Come here, baby..." He coaxed her onto his lap again, this time with her sitting on his thighs and leaning against his chest, and he slowly caressed his hand along the outside of her thigh. "Would you do something like that?" 

Candice sighed softly and relaxed in his embrace while she rubbed her hand gently on his chest. "Um... well... no..." She had her cheek resting against his collarbone, and he turned his head slightly to nuzzle her forehead. 

"Mhm... and would you 'make' me buy you things?" He couldn't resist sliding his hand under her long sweater to trace her hipbone with his fingertips. 

"Well... no... I mean, not until we were... well, I mean... it'd be a long time before I'd do that..." 

"Mhm... and do you really think you could make me do something I didn't want to do, ever?" 

Candice didn't answer for a long moment, then she whispered, "I probably could if it was something I wanted badly enough, but... but then you'd probably want to get it for me because I wanted it, so... I guess I couldn't... really..." 

Jungkook laughed softly and hugged her gently before sliding his hand a little further under her sweater to tickle his fingertips over her flat belly, causing her to giggle. "That's exactly right, sweetie... if you asked nicely, I would give you anything you asked for... well... almost..." 

"Mmm... okay... we'd have to negotiate if I asked for something and you said no..." Candice replied with a grin. 

"Well, we'll have to see how that goes, if it happens. In the meantime, I do know where you live, and I know one of your teachers, so... you could pretend you didn't know me, but I'd make sure you didn't forget me..." Jungkook smiled warmly and dropped a peck on the tip of her nose, then flattened his hand on her stomach and rubbed her softly through her leggings. "So... I don't think there is any harm in you showing me the clothes you have, then letting me buy you more... hm? 

Candice sighed and nibbled her bottom lip, then raised her gaze to meet his, her expression still uncertain. "I... I just don't want you ever to think I'd take advantage of someone... I... it happened to me so much while I was growing up, I... I have a tough time letting anyone do anything for me because I don't want them to think I expect it... you know?" 

"Ah, I understand now... well, if I start to feel like you're too greedy, I will tell you, but I highly doubt that will ever happen. If you can live in this tiny little place and be perfectly happy and give away what I imagine must have been a decent coat to someone who needed it more than you do, even though you do need one, I can't imagine you demanding anything. Unless you have a weakness for stuffies?" He lifted his head and looked up at the glass wall of the loft, where he could see her bed and the menagerie resting on it. 

Candice grinned and blushed, then nodded her head. "I do, kind of, yeah... those are from my friends when we went to carnivals and fairs and stuff... the guys are always trying to impress the girls by winning games and getting big prizes."


	11. The little bitty closet

"Oho! So, is there a boy who wins prizes for you so that he can gain your favor, mm?" Jungkook suddenly looked unhappy, and Candice blinked.

"N-no... my f-friends are... paired up already... I... I don't..." 

Jungkook realized he'd frightened her, and he hugged her gently, then offered her a soft kiss. "Sorry about that, baby... but I do have to tell you that the only guy I won't be jealous of when it comes to you is Jimin, and that depends on how much you like him, compared to me..." 

This time Candice's eyebrows rose, and she looked at Jungkook in surprise. "Wait, you... what?" 

"I'm teasing, honey," Jungkook replied, grinning as he took advantage of having his hand under her sweater and tickled her bare side, causing her to giggle and squirm on his lap. "I might get jealous if I see a guy trying to flirt with you, but I don't get angry or punch people... I'd just make sure I kissed you deeply enough so anyone near us would know you were mine..." 

Candice blinked and blushed, then frowned slightly. "What... what about the 'me liking you better than Jimin' thing? How could I even prove to you that I liked you more? What if I liked you both the same? I mean..." 

Jungkook smiled and kissed her softly again, then whispered, "I was teasing about that too, baby... we'll see how the three of us get along after you and I get to know each other better. And I wouldn't be worried about who you liked better between us, I promise. Does that work for you?" 

Candice breathed a sigh of relief and nodded her head. 

"Okay, good," Jungkook said, then helped Candice stand up before standing up beside her. "Now, show me your clothes, Candi-ah... I won't ask again; I'll just find them myself..." 

Candice stuck her tongue out at him, causing Jungkook to laugh and start tickling her. "Yah! No tickling!!!" 

"Then show me!!!" Jungkook said as he continued while she giggled. 

"Okay! Okay!!! Look, here, under the loft, see? It's a little bitty closet, like my little bitty apartment." Candice was squirming back and forth to try to keep Jungkook's fingers from her sides, and he finally relented when she opened the door in the wall under the loft. It was situated next to the bathroom, and she wasn't kidding when she said it was tiny. Her shoes and boots were on the floor – she'd purchased a couple of shelves so she could have more room for them, but the hangar space for clothing was sparse. 

"Good heavens! That's hardly big enough to hold a week's worth of clothes... where do you keep your undergarments?" Jungkook looked incredulously at her, then back into the closet. 

"I don't wear those, so I don't need to keep them anywhere," Candice answered without missing a beat. 

Jungkook blinked and looked at her, then opened his mouth, but no sound came out. And then he started laughing and grabbed her, holding her against him with one arm while tickling her again with the other. "Oh my god, you are a naughty girl! For a minute, I thought you were serious, and then I remembered watching you in your bra and panties last night!!" 

"Darn that stupid clear glass!!" Candice sputtered, then continued giggling while she tried to squirm out of Jungkook's embrace. "Stop, stop, I can't laugh anymore!!" 

Jungkook stopped the torment but continued to hold her against him while he perused her belongings. "Mmm... I see what you mean about not having room for more clothes, although... it does look like I could buy you a couple of outfits that can interchange, and you could get rid of... hm... oh... well, actually, what you have is nice." He back hugged her and nuzzled her neck through her hair, then looked at her clothes again. "Maybe one or two pieces, if you see something you really like... and a coat. And lingerie, since you don't have any..." 

Candice snickered. "You just want to see me in sexy little things, you big pervert... I don't need anything more; I barely have room for what I have." 

"Mmm, you caught me... and maybe we should consider moving you into a larger apartment so that you can have more clothes... and a certain guy can get in bed with you without worrying about banging his head on the ceiling... it doesn't look like I'll be able to stand at my full height up in your loft..." Jungkook brushed her hair away from her neck and dipped his head to suckle softly at her skin. 

"No, you'll probably have to duck a bi...ohhhhhhhhhhh... Jungkookie... I... what are you doing? That... oh, I like that..." Candice leaned back against Jungkook more fully and tilted her head, offering him more access to her sweet flesh. 

"Hm, hasn't anyone done this to you, beautiful? If not, I imagine there have been men who've wanted to..." Jungkook nuzzled the hollow of her neck for another long moment, then reluctantly let her go when her stomach growled. "Well, your tummy just answered me about whether you've eaten, so we should go to a restaurant, then shop... are you hungry for anything in particular?" 

"Mmm... I'd like to have something at Auntie Seoyeon's café if that's okay... I really liked the porridge and the cinnamon roll, and I saw some other savory dishes on the menu that looked yummy." Candice turned around and looked up at Jungkook, then offered him a sweet smile. "Or we could go somewhere else, but I'm not too familiar with many places, other than a couple of cafes near the campus that my friends and I go to after classes sometimes." 

"Going to Aunt Seoyeon's café is fine, and she will be thrilled to see you again. Also, I can attest that all of her food is delicious." Jungkook stepped back to allow Candice to close the closet door, then looked at her critically. "I'd tell you to wear something warmer, except once we get to the mall, you'd be uncomfortable... here, wear my coat; I brought this one so if you needed it, you wouldn't look like a tiny kid in a snowsuit." Jungkook laughed and skipped out of the way when she tried to kick him. 

"Yah! I did not... eh... oh fine, yes; I did... god, that was so embarrassing..." Candice rolled her eyes while Jungkook picked up his wool coat and helped her into it. 

"Well, it's still too big, but definitely better than the other one. You look quite beautiful in it, baby; it's a good color on you." The coat was bright red, and it highlighted the rosiness of her cheeks, giving her a sweet glow. 

Candice blushed. "Thank you, although I normally wouldn't wear one quite this flashy... I like more subdued colors, so I don't stick out in the crowd..." 

"Well, you're going to learn to get over that when you're with me, sweetie, because I'm going to want to show you off, and I imagine Jimin will feel the same way. All right, do you have everything you need? Okay, let's get going." 

The two of them walked out the door; she locked it after them, then they headed out to Jungkook's car. 

**_Candice's POV_ **

Oh my god, what a day! Jungkook and I went to Aunt Seoyeon's café and enjoyed a wonderful lunch, and I talked to her when Jungkook excused himself to go to the restroom, and she agreed to let me come work for her starting next week! I haven't been a waitress before, but she said it's pretty easy, and her customers tend to be well-behaved, or she kicks them out. I can't wait, then I won't have to worry about how to cover my expenses! Since she knows I'm taking classes, she also said I could study at the café during my breaks, and she won't have me work too many hours. And the salary she's going to pay me is very generous... I think Jungkook liking me has a lot to do with that, but I'm not complaining. 

Then Jungkook took me shopping. 

Oh. My. God. He has fantastic taste in clothes... then again, I should have figured that out by how he was dressed yesterday and today. Wait... has it only been one day since I met him?? Oh my gosh, it feels like we've known each other forever!! Maybe it's just because of the way he treats me so... um... familiarly? I guess? Like, he knows what he wants, and he just acts like he already has it, which is me... I think... I mean, he hasn't come right out and said it out loud, but he held my hand the whole time we were shopping unless I was trying something on, and when we stopped in the food court to share a chocolate soda, he grabbed my chair and scooched me as close to him as it could get. 

He bought me two new silk blouses, a dark red one the same color as his coat, and a dark blue one that he said made my eyes almost change colors – he says he loves the feeling of silk under his fingertips, which made me feel those interesting twinges again. He also purchased a black skirt that will go with both blouses, a pretty winter dress of white wool, and some gorgeous undergarments. He also asked if I'd be willing to wear garter belts and stockings sometimes, and of course, I said yes. I mean, if it's going to bring that look to his face when I do, then heck yeah, bring them on! Oh, and he bought me this really lovely dark gray wool coat. It covers me to my knees, and it's very comfortable, so now I can wear my own instead of borrowing his and looking like a child, and I promised I wouldn't give this one away. 

When we got back to my apartment, it was a little after seven, and I asked if he wanted to stay for dinner... to be honest, I didn't want him ever to leave, but as much as I want to chain him to my bed and keep him forever, I know he has a life that doesn't include me. It's not like I don't have a life, too, but... well, I've gotten really attached to him in the last twenty-four hours. I guess that's one of the hazards of having parents who weren't around that much and minders who ignored me... now, when I get attention; I crave it really quickly. 

Oh well, that's my problem, not his, so now I'm waiting for him to decide if he wants to stay or not. He's been thinking about it for long enough that I am pretty sure he's going to say no, and then I probably won't see him for another couple of weeks, if at all. Yeah, he bought me clothes, but he's rich, so what does he care if he threw his money away on me? 

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

"Candice? Candi-ah? Baby?" Aish, this girl goes off into some other world so much; it's incredible that she gets anything done in this one! "Yah, Candi!!" 

We're sitting on the couch in her tiny flat, after having returned from shopping and her starting a load of laundry to wash the clothes I just bought her, and she'd asked me to stay for dinner. I'd thought about it for a few seconds, but not because I didn't want to stay. No, I wanted to continue to be around her, but I wanted to ask her to go to a karaoke club with me instead. She can cook for me another time if she wants to, but Saturday nights are for going out drinking, dancing, and singing. Of course, now, I'm trying to get her attention, as she's floated off into the haze. 

"What? Oh! Oh, I apologize, Jungkookie..." she replied while offering me a sweet smile. 

"No apology necessary, sweetheart... and I was saying that no, I don't want to stay for dinner, I..." Before I could say anything further, I watched her expectant little smile disappear from her full lips, and she lowered her head, quickly stood up and stepped away from the couch, then sort of hunched next to the door to her itsy-bitsy closet as she nodded. 

"Oh, okay, Jungkook... I... I guess I'll see you... sometime... if you want..." I watched as she turned away from me a bit, and I imagined it was so she wouldn't see me stand up and leave. Except that wasn't my intention at all. 

"Hey! Candi-ah, I didn't mean I didn't want to stay with you and hang out... oh goodness, come here sweet thing..." I stood up slightly and took her wrist carefully in my hand, then gently tugged her back toward the couch as I sat down. I kept coaxing her slowly while she reluctantly came until I had her settled on my lap with my arms around her waist. "I don't want you to cook dinner, baby, not tonight. I want to go out with you. Do you like karaoke?" 

She lifted her head and blinked at me, and my heart pinged a little when I saw her green eyes filled with tears that she was trying hard not to shed. "You... you want to do karaoke... with me?" 

"Oh my god, you are just the cutest little thing," I murmured to her as I gently kissed her soft lips. "Of course, I want to do karaoke with you... unless you can't sing, and then I'll take you to a movie, instead..." I grinned at her, and she hit her fist gently against my chest. 

"Yah, I have a good singing voice!" She leaned against me, pressed her forehead against my jaw, then flattened her hand against my chest and softly rubbed me. "I'm sorry, I..." 

"Hey," I whispered, "why are you apologizing, honey?" I started rocking her slightly in my arms. Which was weird because I've never done that before, not even with Jimin. Then again, he's not a petite girl who cries at the drop of a hat. Like, seriously, she's been in tears so often today, I'm surprised she hasn't completely dried up and blown away from dehydration. And it's stinking adorable! Sometimes it's because she's upset, but more often, it's because she's happy. Like... hasn't anyone ever wanted to make her happy before? 

"I... cuz, I... I mean, cuz I just... I'm such a crybaby... you must think I'm a big wuss... and I... I can't tell you I won't cry, because I know I will, and it's... well, it's something I always figured would keep anyone from wanting to spend too much time with me... because I'm kind of like a waterworks..." 

I chuckled softly and hugged her. "I don't mind at all, baby. In fact, I like it. You are the cutest thing as it is, and when you get all emotional, you're even cuter. Auntie Seoyeon wasn't kidding when she said you'd be a handful!" 

She sighed softly and nodded her head. "I... I saw a therapist in Taiwan when I was in school, and she said that I'm kind of a dichotomy... I'm super independent and stubborn sometimes, and other times, I'm needy and accommodating... and sometimes within seconds of each other; and sometimes they intertwine and I'm needy but stubborn, or independent and accommodating... she said I'm a good, sweet person, and if people say I'm weird, not to take it as an insult." Candi giggled and lifted her head to look into my eyes while offering me a shy little smile. "I try not to be too difficult, but... sometimes it is really hard not to be..." 

I smiled back at her, then gave her a quick peck on her lips. "I think you're perfect, just the way you are. And, I want to take you to a couple of karaoke bars that I like to frequent; we might even run into a few of my friends." I squeezed her gently, then asked, "If you would like to do that, are you ready to go? We should stop and eat something first." 

"Oh my gosh, I can't go out and meet your friends like this! They're going to think I'm a ragamuffin!!" Candi stood up from my lap and went into the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. "Oh no, you didn't tell me I look like a raccoon again!! Aish, I should take off my makeup, so I don't keep running my mascara, but... but then I'll look like I'm twelve..." 

I sat on the couch and watched her, holding my hand over my mouth to stifle my giggles while she fussed and fretted until she caught my eye in the mirror. She put her hands on her hips and turned around, then stomped her cute little foot, stalked out of the bathroom to stand in front of me, and blurted, "You can't laugh! If I look like I'm twelve, you'll look like a criminal!!" 

I started laughing and reached out to gently take her hands as I sat forward on the couch and looked into her pretty eyes. "Baby... you do not look like you're twelve when you aren't wearing makeup. Remember, I saw you for the first time yesterday when you weren't wearing any, and I never thought you were that young. In fact, hm... now that I think of it, I just assumed you were at least eighteen. Mostly because you didn't start screaming for someone to help you when I was trying to get you to come with me to the café..." 

"Oh." Candi replied, then blushed and smiled. "I didn't get the feeling that you were planning to abduct me, but I suppose that was silly of me... I mean, it turned out that you didn't, but I didn't know that for sure... it just never occurred to me that anyone would consider it. I mean, no-one else paid me a single mind at all, so..." 

"Yes, well, everyone who ignored you had no idea what they were missing, and now you're mine, so they will just have to live with their misfortune." I rested my hands on each of her hips and squeezed her gently. "You're beautiful with or without makeup; whether you wear any tonight is entirely up to you. Tomorrow, we'll go shopping again, and I'll get you some better-quality makeup products." 

Candi blinked, then shook her head. "No, Jungkookie, you can't spend more money on me until we've known each other longer... I mean, meals and drinks are okay, but no more clothes or makeup or anything like that... okay? I'd just feel... it would feel too much like I'm taking advantage of you, even if you tell me I'm not." 

"All right, sweetheart," I replied as I slid my hands behind her and squeezed her soft backside. "And you look adorable as you are, so if you're ready to go...?" 

She rested her hands over mine, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks at my gently erotic touch, and nodded, "I'm ready if you're sure you don't mind going out with me in the same clothes I've worn all day?" 

I chuckled softly and stood up, then wrapped her in a hug while I bent down to kiss her sweetly. Once the kiss was broken, I smiled and brushed my thumb tip over her cheek. "If you don't mind me being in the clothes I've worn all day, I don't mind you doing it too..." 

She hugged me tightly and nodded her head; so off we went.


	12. Karaoke and friends

**_Narrator's POV_ **

Jungkook took Candice to a local ramen restaurant, and once they'd stuffed themselves as full as they could, they started a tour of various karaoke clubs. Jungkook had called an Uber as soon as they'd left her apartment, as he didn't want to worry about driving, so each time they went to a different club, they had a different driver. All of them were friendly, and some were very funny, and she had a blast. 

They did run into some of Jungkook's friends at a few of the clubs, and he introduced her without reservation, calling her his girlfriend and acting quite possessive of her. However, he wasn't rude about it – he just made sure to keep his hand touching her at all times or have her snugged next to him on the seat or nestled in his lap while they waited for their turn at the microphone. Everyone fell in love with the sweet girl and her cute reaction to Jungkook's greediness, as she pretended to try to get away from him, then humphed and rolled her eyes when he'd hold onto her. If anyone wondered what Jimin's thoughts were, their question was answered when Jungkook called Jimin at one point while all of them were relaxing in between songs. 

"Hey, baby, how are you?" Jungkook asked Jimin as he held the phone so everyone could hear since he'd put it on speaker. 

"I'm good, Jungkookie – a little tired and sore, but I'm going to go relax in the hot tub with Hobi and Taemin for a while, then we're going to meet Teresa and Jongin for dinner. How are you? What are you doing? I think I can hear music?" 

"That sounds fun; enjoy yourself." Jungkook was smiling warmly as he gazed at Candice while she smiled back as she listened. "I'm having a lot of fun; Candi and I are hanging out with some of the guys and girls at the karaoke club. She has a beautiful singing voice, and so far, she's charmed everybody. Say hi to Jiminie, babygirl..." 

Candice blushed but smiled happily, then leaned toward the phone. "Hi, Mr. Park! I can't wait to see the performance! If it's still okay that Jungkook brings me with him, instead of me going with the students?" 

"Hi, Candi, you can call me Jimin when we're not in class, all right? And of course, it's okay; I look forward to having dinner with the two of you afterward. Are you having fun tonight? What do you think of our weird friends?" 

Candice giggled and snuggled on Jungkook's lap, then leaned toward the phone again. "I'm having so much fun, oh my gosh! And I really like everybody; they've been super nice to me!" 

Jungkook chuckled and hugged her, then spoke, "Jiminie, our next song is queueing up, so we need to go. We'll see you for dinner on Monday, ne?" 

"Okay, I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves, and I'll see you then! Goodnight, Kookie-ah and Candi-ah!" 

They hung up the call and continued singing for a few more hours, then decided it was time to head back to Candice's apartment. 

On the way back, Jungkook was quizzing her on his friends' names, the two of them giggling like loons as she continued to guess incorrectly since she was incredibly drunk. He wasn't much soberer than she was, and some might consider it a miracle that they actually made it from the curb to her apartment without falling more often than they did – which was three times. All three were because Jungkook had tripped over Candice's feet when she was being silly and stuck her foot in between his, and on the last one, she had fallen on her back with him hovering over her. 

"At least we're in front of your door, you silly girl... you really shouldn't do that; one or both of us could get seriously injured." Jungkook slowly stood up, then helped her to her feet. She took her key out of her purse, then tried to insert it in the lock, but was having all kinds of trouble. 

"Jungkookie... the lock keeps running away from the key!!" Candice looked up at him and blinked owlishly, and he shook his head and laughed. He was very drunk, but he was used to it, so his faculties weren't nearly as impaired as hers. He gently took her hand, then helped her insert the key in the lock, turn the handle, then push open the door. "Yay! You're my hero!!" 

Jungkook snickered and nudged her into the apartment, then followed after and closed the door before turning on the light and starting to remove his coat. "Oh wait, I shouldn't take my coat off, I need to go home, and it's cold..." He started to turn toward the door, but Candice stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

"Jungkookie, you are in no shape to drive, and calling an Uber right now is silly... uh... why don't you stay... um... here?" 

Jungkook turned his head and looked down at her, grinning when he saw how red her face was from making that suggestion. "Honey... I don't want you to think I'm trying to make you do something you're not ready for; I can get a ride and come back for my car tomorrow." 

Candice shook her head and gripped his arm a little tighter. "No, I... I think you should stay... I mean... I still don't want to rush, but that doesn't mean we can't... just... snuggle... right?" 

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, then gently brushed his fingers along her jaw, causing her to shiver with pleasure. "If you're sure... and yes, we can just snuggle... I'm too drunk to do much more than that, anyway... I'm not even sure if kissing is in your near future, as much as I'd love to devour your luscious lips." 

"Aish, Jungkookie!!" She exclaimed, the bright red blush still coloring her pretty face. "Mmm... do you want to sleep on the couch or in the bed?" 

"Well, I should sleep on the couch since I'm a guest," Jungkook replied, although he looked a bit confused when Candice shook her head. 

"No, I meant do you want 'us' to sleep on the couch or in the bed? We can't snuggle if we're not sleeping in the same place, silly! The couch is actually pretty comfortable, and it opens into a futon... except it's smaller than my bed, so your feet would probably hang over... but, you would have to duck a little when you got up in the loft... so, there's a con either way..." 

"Oh! Hm... I think I can handle ducking better than having my feet hanging off the couch all night." Jungkook started to help Candice out of her coat, opened her tiny closet, hung the garment inside, then took off his and set it over one of the kitchen chairs. "Mmm... I need to undress down here... I'm going to keep my tee-shirt and underpants on, so I don't get any wild ideas while we're in bed." He wiggled both of his eyebrows, and she laughed. 

"I should inform you that I am perfectly capable of biting if you try something I don't like, Mr. Jeon..." Candice slid her arms around his waist and hugged him warmly. "But I get the feeling that if I just said no, that would be enough." 

"Mmm, you're right, baby," Jungkook answered, one arm wrapping around her while he brushed the fingers of his other hand through her soft hair. "No works. Hm... if I'd been smart, I'd have brought a toothbrush, at least, but I don't have anything in my car..." 

"Oh! I have an extra toothbrush, I had to replace mine, so I bought a multi-pack. I hope you don't mind my toothpaste; I don't buy anything that tastes very good; those are too expensive..." She blushed and lowered her head, but Jungkook lifted her chin and smiled warmly at her. 

"No apologies for being frugal, sweetie... and I'm sure whatever you have will be perfectly fine." He lifted his head and looked into the bathroom. "I don't think there's enough room for both of us in there at the same time..." 

Candi giggled and shook her head. "Nope... not even in the shower – it's barely big enough for me. At least the showerhead is high, so you should be able to stand under it if you want to take one, but you won't be able to move around much, and you'll have to watch your elbows, so you don't bang them into the walls..." 

Jungkook laughed and rolled his eyes. "Aish... you really should let me get you a larger apartment... but this will do. Do you have an extra towel for me to use, too?" 

Candice rolled her eyes. "I like this apartment just fine; it's cozy. And yes, let me get it." She pulled on one of the shelves against the wall, and it swung open to reveal a small space behind it where she'd stored her towels and an extra set of sheets. 

"Oh, that's very clever!" Jungkook commented, "are there other unusual storage spaces here?" 

"Mhm," Candice replied and quickly showed him where she had extra foodstuffs and laundry supplies stored – separately, of course. 

"Oh, very good. Would you like to take a shower first? I can check my messages and watch videos on my phone; I don't mind waiting." Jungkook said as he hugged her close to him. 

Candice nodded her head and climbed the ladder (it only took her four tries, with Jungkook holding on to her) to get a pair of PJs, then came back down (by falling, with Jungkook catching her) and performed her nightly routine. When she was finished, she opened the bathroom door, letting out a cloud of warm steam, and Jungkook looked up from his phone. She was much clearer-headed but still a little woozy. 

"Well, that hardly took any time at all... oh my god, what the hell are you wearing? Get over here, you cutie!!" He reached for her and pulled her into his lap, then examined the PJs more closely. They were a set of pink thermal type underwear with cute little gray elephants all over. "Good god, baby, you're adorable and sexy; I think my heart is going to explode!" Jungkook snuggled her close and offered her a kiss, which she accepted happily, a quiet moan issuing from her throat when she felt his hand roaming freely over her bottom. "Mmm..." he murmured when he broke the kiss, "I need to take a cold shower, and you need to hop into bed before I pull your pants off and do very naughty things to your naked pussy..." 

Candice blinked, then blushed deeply before giggling and hitting her hand lightly against his chest. "Yah, you make me so shy!!" 

Jungkook laughed and hugged her tight, then stood up and set her on her feet. "You're so cute when you blush, Candi-ah, I'm going to strive to make you do it frequently... be prepared..." He grinned, then aimed a swat at her backside as she began to climb the ladder to the loft. "You know... you have a perfect ass for spanking..." 

She was halfway up the ladder when Jungkook smacked her and made that comment, and she gasped, then stopped climbing to turn her head and look at him; her green eyes widened in surprise. She took one look at his face and gulped, then whispered, "I... I haven't had anyone do that to me before..." 

Jungkook was wearing one of his darker expressions, and he licked his lips, then cupped one of her ass cheeks and squeezed it gently. "I want to do all kinds of dirty things to you, baby... but we'll take it at whatever pace you want... I have all the time in the world for you..." 

She slow-blinked and nodded, then climbed the rest of the way up the ladder before climbing into her bed to wait for Jungkook to perform his nightly routine, then join her. 

Jungkook came out of the bathroom a bit later in his tee-shirt and boxers while toweling his hair. He cast a glance toward the loft and saw Candice's blonde head on one of the pillows, a smile curving his lips as he imagined her beautiful face in repose. He hung his towel over the hook she'd shown him, made sure the front door was locked, turned off the lights, then carefully climbed the ladder before stepping into the loft while crouching slightly in order not to bonk his head on the ceiling. He managed to find his way to the bed and pulled the covers back, then slid in beside the warm and snuggly girl. "Mmm... what's this? A cuddly cutie and she's nice and comfy..." 

She sighed softly as she felt Jungkook's body press against hers, then he curled his legs and pulled her close, becoming the big spoon with his arm resting gently over her belly. "Oooo, it's that handsome devil, snuggling up to me... mmm... you feel nice like this..." Her voice was soft and sleepy, and Jungkook gently rubbed his hand over her belly. 

"You feel perfect, honey... I could get used to this..." He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled her scent, then nuzzled the side of her neck. "Goodnight, Candi-ah... I'll see you tomorrow..." 

She snugged herself more fully into Jungkook's embrace and sighed contentedly. "Goodnight, Jungkookie-ah... maybe we'll meet in our dreams, too..." 

**_Candice's_ ** **_POV_ ** **_\- Sunday Morning_ **

I woke up the next morning feeling hungover, although considering how much alcohol I had poured into me, I was surprised it wasn't worse. I could tell it was morning since the sun was shining in the loft window and directly on my face, and I groaned, then put my forearm over my face. And then I felt my bed move. And it wasn't because of drunken whirlies. Then I felt a pair of warm arms holding me, and I remembered that Jungkook was in bed with me, and I'd rolled over at some point, so now we were face to face. With my leg over his hip. Aish, he's going to think I'm a hussy! 

I moved my arm, blinked open my eyes, then put my hand over my mouth as he leaned up on his elbow to block the sun from blinding me. "Mmm mmmmmmm..." I mumbled into my palm. 

Jungkook started laughing and took my wrist, then carefully moved my hand. "Good morning to you too, cutie... did you sleep well?" 

I tried to take my hand back, but he wouldn't let go of my arm, so I kept my lips as close together as I could and mumbled past my closed teeth, "yesh, did you?" 

"Yah, if you're worried about morning breath, don't... especially since I am going to do this..." He leaned toward me, I started to move my leg and turn my head, but he let go of my wrist, gripped my butt and held me against him, then kissed me before I could stop him. Mmm... morning kisses... his breath was minty, how the hell did that happen? 

He tried to get me to open my mouth, but I was having none of that until he pinched my bottom hard enough to make me yelp, then he poked his tongue between my lips, and I felt something land on my tongue. He removed his tongue and leaned back to allow me to close my mouth, to decipher what he'd deposited, and I realized it was a minty candy. I blinked at him in surprise, and he chuckled, then lay down beside me, pulled me close, and kissed me again, his tongue licking over my lips to request access again. 

Of course, now that my breath didn't taste like swamp water and smell worse, I was much more inclined to let him in, and we ended up sharing the mint back and forth until it was gone, and I was moaning and panting because he'd also been rubbing my butt the whole time. I could feel how hard he was, and since he was wearing boxers and I was wearing my jammie pants, I could also feel how big... and I was terrified. 

As I'd mentioned, I'd seen videos of people having sex, so I knew it was feasible for something big to go inside something that looked so small, but... that was on a video, it wasn't me as the small something being entered. I must have tensed in my response to his kisses because he pulled his mouth from mine and smiled at me, then whispered, "When you're ready, baby, we'll take it slowly... it will hurt, I won't lie, but I will do everything I can to make the pain as minor as possible." 

Just knowing he planned to take care of me when it came time – because I was definitely interested in having him be my first – calmed me down, and I gave in to the pleasure of his kisses and touch until he finally stopped and just held me close, letting me pant and gasp against his chest. 

"Have you ever had a climax, baby?" Jungkook asked me softly, and I shook my head. 

"I... I thought it was weird to touch myself, and I didn't know about sex toys and stuff until I saw some videos about sex... I have no idea where to get those, even if I was thinking about trying them... which I wasn't... haven't... don't... uh..." I blushed, and Jungkook chuckled again, then ran his fingers carefully through my hair. 

"Well, since I am a licensed professor, perhaps I should take over your sex education, hm?" He hummed quietly at me, and I blushed as he smiled. 

"I... I wouldn't mind that... Professor Jeon..." I slow blinked at him, and he groaned, then kissed me again. 

"We should probably hold off on the nicknames like that for a while..." he said when he broke the kiss, a grin curving his lips. 

"Oh, uh... okay... but why?" I asked, like a complete nincompoop. 

Jungkook laughed and hugged me, then kissed my cheek. "Because I might not be able to control myself... hm... you do know what kinks are, right?" 

I nodded my head. "Mhm, like spanking and dirty talk and... ohhhhhh..." The lightbulb went on over my head. "So, me calling you things like that...?" 

"Mhm," he replied, then slid his hand under my pajama shirt and rubbed my back. 

"Ah... so... if I said something like, say... Daddy..." I wasn't entirely sure what his reaction would be to me saying that, so when he pushed me onto my stomach, flipped the covers off us, then smacked my bottom hard, I was pretty surprised. "Ouch!!"


	13. Abandonment Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: Candice's full name is Candice Chaoxing Aikko Taan.
> 
> Her father was from Finland, her mother was Taiwanese. They named her Candice, because they wanted to call her Candi, since they thought she would be sweet, but they didn't want her full name to be Candy, since they also didn't want people to have preconceived notions about her because of her name. Chaoxing means morning star, as she was born in the morning, and Aikko means little loved one.

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

I have no idea how I'm restraining myself right now, other than I don't want to frighten Candi, nor hurt her... well, not without her informed consent. Except she pushed that button when I'd given her a clue that it wasn't a good idea. And damn, her ass is fine... as tiny as she is, I'm surprised she has such a perfectly plump ass, but then again, Jimin is pretty thin too, being a dancer, but his ass is... mmf... he lets me bite it, frequently... I wonder if I'll get her to let me do the things to her that I do to him. 

Okay, I can't start thinking about what Jimin and I do together; otherwise, I will absolutely lose my self-control. I do believe that the meeting of the three of us will take place much sooner than I had anticipated, because I want both of them naked, at the same time, in my bed. With me also bare. 

Yeah, I'm a fucking pervert. Then again, how could I not be, with Jimin and Candi? He is perfection in male form; she is the same in female form. Anyone would be crazy not to want them both, and at the same time. 

Anyway, so she pushed the button, and I spanked her bottom. And she didn't jump off the bed and kick me out of her apartment. 

"What was that you called me, baby? I don't think I heard you correctly," I whispered into her ear as she lay on her belly beside me, warm and cuddly. 

She snuggled closer, rested her cheek on my forearm as I propped myself up on my elbow beside her, stuffed her fists under her hips to lift her ass off the bed and arched her back, then whispered, "Daddy..." 

Fucking hell. 

I slapped her ass harder. And then I slid my fingers between her legs to rub against her clothed puss. Fuck, her pajama bottoms were wet, and as I teased her, they got wetter. 

"Mmm... it feels like you were enjoying my kisses?" I rubbed her pussy a little harder, and she whimpered, then arched her back further. "And maybe having your sweet little ass tingling, too?" I watched her reactions, smiling as she cuddled even closer and turned her head to hide her face in the crook of my elbow. "Jesu, you're cute... do you want me to give you a little spanking, babydoll? And tickle your pussy, while I'm at it?" She whimpered softly and nodded as I continued to gently stroke her through her PJs. 

"You're adorably shy, sweetheart... here, lift up a bit so I can push your PJs and panties down; spankings from me are usually given on the bare." Suddenly, she froze, and I could feel her nearly stop breathing. "What's wrong, Candi? Am I scaring you?" 

"A... a little..." she whispered, although she squirmed around a bit until her side was pressed as tightly against my body as she could get it. "I... I just don't... I mean... ugh... I'm... I don't know how to say it..." 

I chuckled softly and stopped playing with her puss, and instead rubbed her bottom again. "It's all right, baby; I won't be upset if you're not ready." I leaned down and rubbed my cheek against the side of her head, feeling her soft hair against my face. 

She rolled onto her back and gazed at my face, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks, while I gently stroked her flat belly. "But I want to be ready..." she whispered. 

I smiled warmly at her and leaned down to offer her a kiss, which she accepted and returned. "I know, honey... and when you really are, you'll know, and so will I, because your body will tell me so, without you even having to say a word. I can tell you are enjoying me kissing and touching you, but I can also feel your nervousness. And I don't want you to be nervous when we touch each other... a little apprehensive maybe, but only because you haven't experienced it before. But not frightened... does that make sense?" 

"I... I think so," she replied while offering me a bashful smile. 

"Let's kiss and snuggle for a little longer; then we'll get up and go to breakfast, hm?" I lay back down on my side and hugged her close, she draped a leg and arm over me, and I spent the next little while exploring her mouth with my tongue while I kept rubbing and squeezing her perfect ass through her PJs. I could feel her body trembling as I stoked her desire, but I could also tell she was holding something back, and I didn't want to push her to do anything she thought she wanted if she really didn't. Finally, I was so hard I ached, and I stopped kissing her and murmured, "Okay, baby, let's get up now, or I won't be able to stop myself from stripping you naked..." 

I lifted my head and looked at her, and I could tell she was considering whether she should ask me to do it or not, and I booped her nose gently with the tip of my finger. "No, we are waiting..." I grinned at her, then whispered, "Dammit." Which caused her to start giggling. "Yeah, yeah, laugh at the guy with the blue balls..." I pretended to complain as I slid off the bed and started down the ladder. "I get dibs on the bathroom." 

**_Narrator's POV_ **

After Jungkook finished showering, he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and Candice, who had been sitting on the couch scrolling through insta on her phone, snapped a quick picture right before her brain exploded. 

"What the...? Hey, delete that!!" Jungkook exclaimed while she stared at him, her eyes and mouth wide open. 

"Huh? Delete what?" Candice asked, then looked at her phone and blinked. "Yah! How did a picture of you in a towel get on my... wait..." She lifted her gaze, looked at him again, then looked at her phone, and then blushed about ninety shades of pink, making Jungkook start laughing. "Oh god, I am so sorry..." She deleted the picture, then looked up at him while he grinned at her. 

"Oh my god, Candi-ah, that was hilarious. And, you didn't have to delete it; it was just my knee-jerk reaction since I'm almost naked. If you want to take another one, you can, just please don't post it anywhere." Jungkook came over and sat on the sofa next to her, and Candice tried valiantly not to stare as the towel opening moved to expose all of one of his thighs while barely keeping his modesty intact. 

"Um, no, because I know for sure it would somehow end up somewhere it shouldn't be, so I'll... dang, you're... I can't think straight... can you get dressed, please?" She turned her head and looked at the front door, studiously avoiding staring at him. 

"Actually, no..." Jungkook replied, and Candice turned her head toward him again, her eyebrows raised. 

"But I thought you... we... were going to wait?!" Her expression was one of consternation, but there was also quite a bit of interest, especially when she let her bright green gaze scan down his bare chest. "Mmph..." she moaned softly. 

Jungkook smiled and tilted her head back up with the tip of his finger under her chin, then grinned. "We are waiting. However, I have been wearing the same clothes since I woke up yesterday, and I hate putting on dirty clothes after I've showered. I did it last night when I put my boxers and tee-shirt on for bed, but now, I want something clean, since I'm a clean boy. So, I need to ask you a huge favor." 

Candice was still blushing, and she blinked when he said that last bit, her eyebrows furrowing as she said, "Um... I don't have a single thing that would fit you and not be even more scandalous than this towel, or so tight it would cut off your circulation... although you'd probably look adorable in my fuzzy pink robe..." 

Jungkook started laughing and shook his head. "No, no no no, oh god, that... hahaha... you are so damned cute!! No, that wasn't what I was asking. And before your mind jumps to another conclusion, I don't want to wash my clothes here, either. I would ask if you'd be willing to run out to my car and get my duffle for me. I always carry a spare set of undergarments and sweats, so when I'm done working out and take a shower, I can put them on to go home. It's not that big of a deal for me to wear them to breakfast, then I can go home and change into clean clothes." 

She smiled and started to nod her head, then she became entirely motionless for a moment, and Jungkook watched her face drain of all its color. "Of course, just... give me a minute, I need to use the restroom..." She hopped up from the couch, scurried into the little bathroom, and then shut and locked the door. 

A moment later, Jungkook heard strange sounds coming from the little room, so he stood up, walked to the door, listened carefully for a moment, then knocked. "Candi?! Candi-ah, I can hear you crying, honey, what's wrong? What happened? Sweetie, open the door!" 

"I'm... I'm o-o-okay, J-J-Jungkook, I'm not c-c-cryinnngggggggg..." 

He knocked again when he heard her muffle her sob. "Candi-ah! Honey, open the door and talk to me; what happened? Did I do or say something that upset you? What's wrong, sweetheart?" 

**_Candice's POV_ **

Great. Just freaking great. Candice Chaoxing Aikko Taan (my parents were weird, so sue me), you are the biggest freaking idiot in South Korea, if not the whole world! Why the hell are you crying? Of course, he'd go home – he's already spent enough time with you, and you wouldn't even let him see you naked, even though he slept in your bed!! He said he had blue balls; why are you such a prude, geez?? Except, you lost the chance to let him be your first... you can bet he'll go home, and just like you thought yesterday, everything he said will have been pretty lies, in the hopes he could get in your pants, and now that he knows he'll have to wait, he's given up. 

I mean, seriously, who wouldn't? Aish. Even if he did have sex with you, he'd still go home. What other reason would he have to keep seeing you? He has a boyfriend – who is freaking everything, by the way – do you really think he'd risk losing Jimin for you? I mean, if we'd have had sex, I guess it could be considered cheating, but maybe they have some kind of agreement where Jungkook can fuck some random girl once in a while, and it's okay. Hell, I don't know. Just... he just... he'll say he's going to call me later, then he'll drop me off after breakfast, and then... I'll never hear from him again. 

Just deal with it. 

He's knocking and saying such nice things, and you really should get his clean clothes, so he doesn't have to wear his dirty ones, and maybe just tell him you aren't up for breakfast, and he should just go now, so you don't get your hopes up when you watch him smile and laugh while you spend more time with him. He's... he's perfect. The whole idea of him and Jimin and me... I can't even imagine what heaven that would be. But it's not real. 

I am a plaything, and since I'm not giving him what he wants, he's going to leave. 

Wait, what if I took off my clothes and went out there and told him I wanted to have sex? 

Except I'd have given up my virginity, and he'd still disappear. I mean, it's not like being a virgin is that big of a deal, but it's the one thing that no-one else can take from me without my consent. Well, unless I get raped, and I hope that doesn't happen. I guess it's just because I know that when I do have sex with someone for the first time, it's not going to be casual for me. My therapist told me I have 'abandonment issues' because my parents never had time for me, and I was always with people who left me alone. And even though I'm independent, it's only as long as I don't start to care for someone. 

It's different with my friends, except when they all decide to do something without asking me to go. I mean, they don't do that very often, and usually, it's because I wasn't there when they decided to do it, like it was a spur of the moment choice, and they figured I was busy or something. Except I wasn't. And that still hurts when they do it, even though I know they don't mean it maliciously. I think. I mean, are they really my friends? Do they really care about me? I'm just some random chick they met at university, and they were all friends from high school. Would it really make that much of a difference to them if I disappeared? Like... should I stop calling and texting them, because maybe they just don't know how to tell me they don't like having me around? 

You know... my parents never spent time with me, maybe it was because they secretly loathed me. Maybe all the people they hired to babysit me were actually charming, but there's something wrong with me, and they just couldn't be pleasant. I should probably tell Aunt Seoyeon that I can't work for her because I'm pretty sure her customers will stop wanting to go there if I'm there. I'm just so worthless. Maybe my therapist was wrong, and I don't deserve good things. And when I am offered the opportunity to have them, I should say no, because I know they'll just be taken away from me. Because I don't really deserve them. 

Should I just stay in here and hope that Jungkook just puts on his dirty clothes and leaves? I mean, if I leave him out there by himself for long enough, wouldn't it be obvious he should go? Wouldn't it make sense to him that he'd wasted all that time on me yesterday and Friday? We didn't take the tags off the clothes yet; he could just pack them all back in the bags and return them for his money. I bet that's what he's doing right now – getting dressed, then putting all the clothes together. I wonder if he'll leave me anything? I don't know why he would. Even a coat. I mean, I can just take my last ten won and find something at one of the thrift shops, they have good quality clothes. 

And tomorrow when I go to school, I'll just avoid everyone, so they don't think they have to pretend to be my friends anymore. I should probably stop going to class at all since I can't go to dance, because Jimin will be there, and he knows about Jungkook being around me, and so do all their friends, and he probably hates me now, and he'd start saying I make too many mistakes, and he's sorry he picked me to be one of his students. And I can't afford to pay for school, and there'd be no point in going anyway if I wasn't dancing. So I should find a job somewhere that I didn't have to talk to people so that they couldn't be disgusted by me. 

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

What the hell is she doing in there? Fuck, I can hear her crying harder. Shit... I need to figure out how to pop the lock on the door... or force it open... or something. Shit shit shit, she's crying so hard now, it's like her heart is breaking. What the hell did you do, Jeon Jungkook?? 

I grabbed a butter knife from the kitchen and managed to pop the lock of the door, then hurried in to find Candice huddled on the floor of the wet shower, sobbing into a towel. She was in such a hysterical state, she didn't notice me, and when I touched her, she flinched away, then started sobbing harder, and I didn't think that could have been possible. 

"Candi-ah!! Honey, come here, get out of the wet shower... come here, baby, shh... shh, honey, let me pick you up... that's a good girl, shhh, I've got you, baby..." I picked her up like a child and carried her out of the bathroom to the couch, then sat down in the lotus position and cuddled her in my lap while she wailed into the towel she still held clamped to her mouth. "Candice... hush now, sweetheart... calm down, baby, and tell me what's wrong... tell me what I did that made you so upset, sweetie... whatever it was, I'm very sorry, I didn't do it on purpose. Please tell me what's wrong, honey." 

I don't know how long I held her or how long she cried, as I hadn't looked at the clock since she'd disappeared into the bathroom, but it took a long time for her to finally calm down enough to be able to speak in coherent sentences. Finally, I could hear her and what she was saying just about started me crying. 

"Jungkook, you can go home, you don't have to call me anymore, you can take everything back that you bought me, you can tell Jimin I won't come to class anymore so he won't have to see me, it's okay. I know I'm worthless and useless and hopeless, and no-one should have to waste any of their precious time on me, because I don't deserve good things or love or comfort, and you should just go, so I can be alone, because it's all I can have because I'm a bitch and a prick tease and won't have sex, even though I made you horny, and my friends don't want to be around me because I'm dull and boring and disgusting, and the longer you're around me, the more I'll taint you, and you'll get sick." 

She said it all in one long sentence with a few breaths in between, and when she'd finished talking, she struggled to get out of my embrace. But I wouldn't let her go. 

"Candice... Candi, honey... you're none of those things, why would you even think you were? You deserve all the love and comfort and good things, and your friends love you, I'm sure, how couldn't they? You are one of the most lovable people I've ever met, and Jimin loves you too and would be very sad if you didn't continue your dancing. He told me you're amazing and so graceful, and you steal everyone's breath away when you practice, never mind when you perform. Sweetheart... I don't want to go home until later... I was hoping to spend the day with you, snuggled on your couch and watching silly movies... or cute movies... or anime... or horror... or action... anything you want. I want to stay here with you, and of course, I'll call you, and I am not taking anything back." 

She had her face pressed against my neck, and I could feel her tears dripping down my skin while her small hands were curled in front of her chest. She'd calmed down considerably, but I knew she was unsure if I was speaking the truth – you don't say the things she was saying, and all of a sudden decide everything's fine again. I need to find out why she thinks these things about herself and start repairing the damage if I can... she did mention she'd seen a therapist; maybe she needs to see one again. 

"Candi-ah... you are not a prick tease, not even close. You weren't acting all sexy and making me think you wanted sex. Yes, you were adorable and snuggly, and you became very wet when I was kissing you and playing with your bottom, but you'd already told me you wanted to wait; it wasn't like you got me all hot and bothered, then pulled away because you didn't want to do anything. You've been adorable and sexy without even trying, and I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to wait because I think we could be something together. I promise, baby, you're stuck with me unless you tell me to go." 

Eventually, she was too tired to cry any longer, so she just sat in my lap with me snuggling her until she was calm enough to start to move. And then both of us remembered that I was wearing a towel. Well, 'had been' wearing a towel, as the act of picking her up in the shower had pulled it from around my waist, so I'd been sitting in all my nakedness without us knowing. 

"Uh... Candi... I'm..." I wasn't entirely sure how to deal with this situation, as we'd not seen each other naked yet, and I didn't want her to think I was going to expect her to take her clothes off suddenly. I was also trying desperately to keep my body from reacting to the sweet, warm girl in my lap, but the minute I started to think about it, guess what happened? Yep, boner. And because she was sitting on my lap, as soon as I was fully hard, my dick was poking at her butt. And, each time she moved... fuck... I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that a) she wasn't a virgin, or b) she decided she was ready. Except even if she did decide she was ready, I knew it would be a bad idea to take her right now, especially after what she'd been saying while she was weeping. The last thing I wanted to do was to feed her insecurities. 

Candice realized what I was hemming and hawing about, and she blushed about seventy-three shades of pink – it's amazing how many colors of pink and red there are, but I'm finding out when I watch my pretty girl blush.


	14. Candi's first climax

**_Candice's POV_ **

"Oh... right... uh... well, hm... okay, so..." My brain was starting to function again – thank god for Jungkook and his warmth. I've been in therapy often enough to know that none of the horrible things I say to myself when I'm upset are true, but man, when those demons come gunning for me, sometimes I just can't fight them off. 

What's really strange is that I honestly do believe that Jungkook wants to spend the day with me, and he will call me, and he wants me and him and Jimin to get to know each other. I know I deserve good things and love and comfort, but every once in a while... sigh... I also know my friends love me, and even though I've mentioned that they do things without inviting me, it's not even that they didn't invite me, because they did... they'd call and ask if I wanted to go somewhere with them. Sometimes I say no because I don’t feel like it or can’t because I’m doing homework. 

They have never made me feel like they don’t want me to be part of the group. It’s just my stupid fears that convince me that other people don’t really think of me the way they say they do. It hurts my feelings when they do fun things without me, but it’s only because I’m sad that I can’t be with them, not because they're being cruel. They have made me part of their little family. So, yeah, I need to explain that to Jungkook at some point, so he doesn’t think they’re mean to me or anything. 

Anyway, so now I was starting to think straight again, and right when Jungkook stuttered, I felt something poking me in the butt. Like, insistently. It made me squirm a little, and when I did, Jungkook groaned. And then I realized what was going on. 

I had a couple of choices. I could get up and not look at him, grab a towel and throw it in his general direction, then put on my coat and shoes, run out to his car, and get his clothes. Or, I could look at him in all his naked glory because I am pretty sure he’s perfection in human male form. And if I look at him, maybe it will make me want to do more... except he said he does want to wait. I at least was aware enough to listen when he was talking, and I do believe what he said. But now that I’m sitting here and his cock is rubbing against my backside, well... I kind of wish I had let him spank me when he asked because I bet this would have felt even better if my cheeks were stinging. Aish, I’m turning into a pervert! 

“Okay... first, just so you know... I really want to be naughty and...” I suddenly found out what Jungkook had meant when he said he was holding back, because he stopped. 

I’m not entirely sure how he did it, but he had me out of my PJ bottoms and panties before I could actually understand what he was doing, and then I was sitting on his lap facing him; he had his arms around me with one hand rubbing my back, while the other stroked and squeezed my butt, and I could feel the tip of his penis rubbing slowly against my pussy. If I said it didn’t feel amazing, I’d be the biggest liar in South Korea. If I said I wasn’t afraid, I’d be lying about that, too. But... once he had me like that, he just... held me there. He was kissing my neck gently, he was rubbing my back and soothing me, his other hand was roaming around on my bottom, but not going further to touch me anywhere else, and he was really, really slowly rocking his hips... which was rubbing him against me... and making me crazy. “Mmph... Kookie-ah... that... that feels so good...” 

**_Jungkook’s POV_ **

Well, fuck, so much for waiting. Although I don’t intend to fully penetrate her. Not yet. But fuck. She smells warm and soft... I mean, what does that really smell like? I have no idea how to describe it. I have my nose buried in her hair while I’m kissing her neck, and her scent is driving me wild. And she’s clinging to me like I’m a life preserver, and if she lets go, she’ll drown. And minutes ago, she was sobbing like a child in my arms. But now, she’s got her body tucked against mine as tightly as she possibly can, her toes are curled under the backs of my thighs, and she’s making this little noise while I tease her... like... like she’s purring... 

Gods, I want to poke my finger in her ass... I want to stuff my dick in her pussy... I thought her PJs were wet earlier, and now I know why... I can feel how damp she is, hot and humid, and swollen... and to think she’s never actually played with herself... goddamn, if I had access to that sweet pussy, I’d be playing with it every fucking day..., and I just realized... she shaves... she must have done it last night because she’s soft and smooth down there... fuck... fuck fuck fuck... I want to put her on her back and eat her until she passes out... ngh... hm, I wonder if I can cum like this, just with her slick puss sliding back and forth along my cock... I wonder if I can get her to cum... I wonder if she ever has climaxed at all, like even in her dreams? 

Damn, she is... oh god, now she’s kissing my neck... and clinging to me... and making more of those little purring noises, and now she’s added little whimpers... jesu... she is wearing down my resistance... but I am going to force myself not to take advantage of her. I know a lot of this has to be part of her recovering from her emotional upheaval just now... and I don’t want to do any more damage to her psyche by making love to her when she’s this vulnerable. I mean, I know she’s going to be that way when we make love the first time – vulnerable, I mean – because it will be her first time, and of course, she’s going to be a little scared. But... well, I know it sounds weird, but... I’ve fallen for her, for sure. 

Last night when we were hanging out with my friends, it was apparent they all thought she was special. And when she went to the restroom, all of them told me how beautiful she is, and how sweet, funny, and adorable. And that just made me fall further for her. My friends are all pretty nice – they're Jimin’s friends too – but they aren’t usually that easily taken with girls. Like, girls fawn over them all the time, which might be why the guys are kind of aloof. But they all said that it was apparent Candi was with me because of how she stayed near me when we were with all of them and the way she looked at me when she didn’t think anyone else was looking. They said she looked ‘starstruck.’ Heh. 

They also told me I looked like a lost little lamb when she went to the bathroom. And what’s weird is, I bet I did... because I missed her. And she was only gone ten minutes! Hell, I missed her last night when she took her shower without me, even though I know there is no way we’d fit together in that tiny thing in her bathroom. Man, I have got it bad for this girl; what the fuck am I going to do when I have to go home tonight? And what about this week while I’m teaching? Are we going to try to see each other at school? And what about when I want to see Jimin? Aish, I need to stop thinking about what might happen and focus on what’s happening right now because she is getting even more squirmy. Fuck. 

“Baby,” I whispered to her, “I think I can cum like this... just rubbing against you like this... but it might be easier if we were in your bed... and then I could tease you a little bit with my tongue... and maybe you could cum for me, too... but we don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to... I don’t want to do anything that will hurt you or make you worried about how I feel...” 

She leaned back a little and looked at me, her emerald eyes enormous, her pupils widened with arousal. “I... I want to... to play a little... I’ve never... never felt this before... and it feels so good... and I want more... please?” 

Please. Fuck. Fucking hell. Hell, yes, Taan Candice, I will take you to your bed and make you delirious... jesu... 

“Okay... you go first, I want to see your cute butt while you climb the ladder... and take off your top; I feel weird being completely naked while you’re still wearing something...” 

She slowly climbed off of me, then lowered her gaze to look at my fat dick, standing thick and hard against my groin. “Oh... my... how does... how can... are you... bigger than normal?” 

I chuckled softly and shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know; I don’t go around comparing my size to other guys... although I will tell you that Jimin and I are close to the same size, so... I don’t know if that makes us normal or bigger. But when it comes time to make love to you, I will be as careful as possible. It will hurt, but I will do everything in my power to help make it easier. Okay?” 

She stood in front of me with her PJ top still on, naked from her waist to her toes, and my god was she cute. And sexy. And alluring. And with her pussy shaved, she looked so fucking naughty. 

“O-Okay...” she answered, then remembered what I’d said about her top because she tucked her fingers under the hem of it and pulled it up and over her head, then let it drop on top of her pants and panties. 

“My my, look at those pretty little titties...” I murmured, and she blushed. “You’re gorgeous, baby... and I’m going to make you feel so good...” I stood up as she stepped back, then took her arm gently and turned her toward the ladder. “Okay, up you go...” I patted her butt gently, then copped a squeeze, and she giggled and wiggled her hips before she started up the ladder. I just stood there and watched. I thought I would start drooling when I caught a glimpse of her sweet pussy as she climbed the ladder, but I didn’t. I’m sure she would have giggled if I had. 

I waited until she was in the loft bed waiting for me before I climbed the ladder after her, my lips curving into a warm smile when I saw her lying on her back among the covers. “You’re beautiful, baby,” I whispered to her as I joined her, my hand automatically rubbing her flat belly as I lay beside her, with my head propped on my other hand so I could gaze at her. “And soft... and warm... and so wet...” I’d slipped my hand down to tease my fingertips over her nether petals gently, and she moaned. 

**_Narrator's POV_ **

Candice blushed when she made that little noise, and Jungkook chuckled, then leaned down to kiss her tenderly while he delicately pushed a fingertip between her outer vulva and stroked the inner, then rubbed her clit. "Kookie-ah!!! Oh!! Oh, stop, that makes me... I have to... go to the bathroom..." She started to move to sit up and get off the bed, but he shook his head. 

"No, baby, that's not what you're feeling... have you ever had an orgasm?" Jungkook pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, then moved lower to nuzzle one of her tight nipples, causing her to gasp and her body to spasm. 

"I... I don't know..." she replied, "I've woken up with my panties wet, but I always thought I'd peed in my sleep... like, not a lot, but enough to be damp... oh... oh Jungkookie... that... that feels so good..." 

Jungkook kissed each of her nipples, then slid down on the bed. "Let me make you feel even better, baby... scooch up further on the pillows and spread your legs for me... that's my good girl... oh my goodness, look at this sweet pink pussy..." There was sunlight shining in the window next to the bed, and it caused her moisture to glisten and shimmer. "So pretty... Candi-ah, when I do this, you can pull my face closer to you, if you want, I won't mind..." 

"O-Okay, Jungkookie-ah... oh... ohhhhhhhh J-Jungkookkkkkk...." She pressed the back of her head into the pillows and whimpered when Jungkook began to slowly lick her, his tongue gentle and soft, tickling and smoothing over her rose petal-soft flesh. She gripped the sheets on either side of her hips while he urged her to lift her legs and give him better access to her charms. 

"Mmm, good girl... you taste sweet, baby... Candi is a perfect name for you..." Jungkook whispered, his lips brushing over her nether ones and bringing soft cries of pleasure from her mouth. He continued his tender ministrations, then began to flick her clit with the tip of his tongue, her breath hitching in her throat each time she felt the wet muscle brush over her stiff pearl. 

"Kookie-ah... what... what is... oh my... are... are you sure I don't need to pee? It... it feels like it... and I don't want to do that if your face is down there!" Candice started to panic a bit as she thought about it, and Jungkook moved to lean up on his forearms, his hands slowly stroking her hips while he pressed soft kisses to her mons. 

"I'm about ninety-nine percent sure that you aren't going to pee, baby... just relax and let me show you what a climax feels like... okay? Trust me... and even if you did pee accidentally, I wouldn't be upset... don't worry about it, sweetness..." Jungkook offered her a warm smile, and she blushed more deeply. 

"That... I don't know, Kookie, that would be... eww..." She wrinkled her nose and started to try to move away from him, but he held her in place gently but firmly. 

"Candi-ah... I'm not saying I'd drink it, and I'm not saying I want you to pee... what I am saying is that if it happens, you would have no reason to be embarrassed; it's just your body letting go... but honestly, you went to the bathroom when we got up, and we haven't had anything to drink yet, so I highly doubt you have to go already. Please, baby... trust me on this... relax and let me give you bliss..." Jungkook pressed another kiss to her button, then gently rubbed the flat of his tongue over it, eliciting a low groan from her throat. 

"Oh god... Jungkook-ah... that... that feels... oh... oh Jungkookie... I like... really like... that... mmm... ah... ah ah... oh..." A few seconds later, Candice squealed, and Jungkook grinned as he felt her body tense, then her pussy begin to pulse as she had her first-ever awake orgasm. 

He helped her through it, keeping her there as long as he could without causing her any discomfort, then slowly moved up to lie over her, and pressed his thick cock flat against her swollen labia. "Switch places with me, baby, so you're lying on top..." They rolled over, and when she started to sit up, Jungkook shook his head and held her against his chest. "Mmm, stay like this, sweetness... that's perfect..." He coaxed her to spread her legs over his hips, then squirmed her around a bit until his tip was rubbing against the sweet spots of her bottom cheeks. 

"Ooo... you're making me wetter," Candice murmured as she kissed his neck while she held onto his shoulders with her hands. 

Jungkook chuckled and reached down to cup her ass with his hands, his voice warm when he whispered, "You have a perfectly plump bottom, baby... squeezable, spankable, kissable, biteable... just wait, I'm going to leave bite marks on your butt..." He laughed when she protested weakly and hit her hand against the top of his chest. 

"Yah, no bite marks! People will think we're doing bad things together!" She gasped when she felt Jungkook grip her cheeks and push them together slightly, then thrust his glans between them, another squeal leaving her mouth when his tip brushed over her tight back entrance. "Oooo!!" 

Jungkook laughed, then groaned. "Fuck, baby... I'm definitely going to be able to cum like this... jesu; you're sexy when you're aroused..." Her interest in what he was doing to her, coupled with her wetness, caused her little puss to feel like a steam bath, and the pillowy softness of her sweet spots rubbing against his tip was driving him crazy. "I'm going to teach you everything, baby girl... every wicked, dirty, sexy little trick I know, that will drive you as wild as you drive me... and what people would see your sweet bottom if I bit it?" While he talked, he slowly rubbed himself along her slit, his hands continuing to squeeze and fondle her butt, and she started to roll her hips, matching his rhythm. 

"Mmm... you know... people... like Jimin... oh... oh Jungkookie... this feels so good... I'm starting to feel that... that feeling again... like I'm gonna pee... mmph..." Candice rubbed her body against his, squirming atop him, then nipped at the column of his neck gently, eliciting a growl from his throat. 

"Oh, baby... do that again, sweetness, and I'm going to soak you with my cum..." He started to move faster, and Candi squealed, then nipped his neck again, a little more roughly, pinching the skin between her teeth and sending a little zing straight through his dick. So, true to his word, he climaxed. He pushed his glans between her sweet spots and coated the cleft of her ass with his seed, groaning when he felt her shuddering on top of him as his bliss brought her to another orgasm. Once he was spent, he slipped his arms around her and held her close while she gasped and trembled, clinging to him as her climax slowly finished rolling through her. 

The two of them rested for a bit, catching their breath, then they got out of bed, showered, and dressed (after she put on some clothes and ran out to his car for him).


	15. I don't need a guardian...?

"Kookie? Would you... I mean, if you don't mind, could I... make breakfast for us? Instead of going out?" Candice was standing near the kitchen, and Jungkook had just asked her where she wanted to eat. "It's... it's okay if you say no, I'm not that great of a cook..." 

Jungkook had been scrolling through his phone to find some nearby restaurants since they didn't want to keep going to Aunt Seoyeon's place every time, and he lifted his gaze to look at her, then frowned slightly at the worried look on her face. "Honey, of course, I don't mind... I would love to eat anything you make for us, and I bet you're a great cook; you just don't know it. I am delighted to be your guinea pig... hm... unless you've cooked for someone else?" 

Candice smiled and nodded, blushing a bit. "Okay... and yes, I've cooked for my friends, at their houses... they say I do well, but I think it's just because they're my friends... you have to promise me to be honest, and if it tastes awful, tell me so I can improve." She walked into the tiny kitchen and opened her fridge. "I could make porridge... I have some abalone that I bought the other day, so it is still fresh... and I have eggs and the other ingredients to make egg sandwiches... how hungry are you?" 

"Wow, your fridge is stocked! Mine is usually damned near empty unless Jimin comes to stay with me." Jungkook said as he came to stand behind her and look into the refrigerator. "I'm not too hungry... jeonbukjuk sounds good... then again, so does egg sandwiches... would you be willing to make both?" 

She laughed and started pulling the ingredients out of the fridge, then set them on the counter and shooed Jungkook to the other side of the island. "You sit over there; otherwise, I can barely move around... I don't mind making both..." She retrieved the pans from the cupboard, then started the rice for the porridge while cutting up the abalone. "Does Jimin come to stay with you often? Do you go stay with him?" Jungkook looked longingly at the espresso maker right as she lifted her head to look at his face, and she giggled. "Would you like me to make you some coffee first?" 

Jungkook nodded his head. "Yes, please, that would be lovely. And we try to get together a couple of weekends a month, when he isn't too busy practicing for a show... he has the performance in two weeks, so I'll see him after that. He comes to my house since I live alone. I go to his house to hang out with him and his roommate sometimes, but we sleep at mine." 

A short while later, they were sitting at her small dining table eating the meal she'd prepared. She watched his face as he took the first bite, wincing slightly as she expected him to wrinkle his nose in disgust, but he chewed, swallowed, then licked his lips. 

"Yum, the porridge is delicious; you cooked the abalone perfectly!" He took a bite of the egg sandwich and hummed, nodding his head as he chewed, then swallowed that bite and grinned at her. "Both are a hit, Chef Taan; I recommend that you prepare these for me for breakfast every day." 

Candice laughed and reached over to slap his arm lightly before she started eating her meal. When they finished, and she was in the kitchen washing the dishes – he'd offered to do it, but she'd told him no, thank you – he sat at the dining table and chatted with her, learning more about her, and she about him, although he didn't think she was quite ready to divulge the intricacies about her insecurity yet, so he didn't ask about that. 

Afterward, they spent the rest of the day exactly as he'd said he wanted – snuggled on the couch, watching anime. At one point, they turned the tv off and napped on the couch, and she cooked dinner in the evening, and now it was time for him to go home. 

"Aish, I don't want to leave," Jungkook said as he held his arms around her and leaned down to nuzzle his nose tip against hers. 

"I know, but I have an early class tomorrow, so you'd have to get up super early, and you said your class doesn't start until eleven... I would hate for you to wake up early for no reason..." Candice cupped his face softly in her hands and smiled at him, her emerald eyes twinkling with warmth. "Will I see you... uh... I mean, I hope I see you... um... soon... heh... although I'm not trying to pressure you into seeing me... just so you know..." 

There was an awkward pause, then Jungkook kissed her deeply, hugged her tightly, and whispered, "I plan to see you as frequently as you'll let me, Taan Candice, so be prepared to get bored of me..." 

Candice giggled and rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine anyone ever getting bored of you, Jeon Jungkook... then I'll... see you tomorrow on campus?" 

"Absolutely," Jungkook replied immediately, then hugged her close for another long minute. "Jesu, I do not want to leave... but I know I have to, so you can get some sleep... therefore, on that note, I'll say goodnight, and I want you to text me tomorrow as soon as you wake up." 

She rolled her eyes again. "I get up too early; I'll text you at nine, so you at least have a little longer to sleep." 

Jungkook grinned, then booped her nose with his fingertip. "Fine, text me at nine. I'll be waiting. Sleep tight, baby, see you tomorrow." 

They kissed, and Jungkook left the apartment. Candice stood in front of the door and stared at the wood, wishing he'd knock and ask to come back in, but she knew it shouldn't happen, and it wouldn't, so she went to the restroom to start getting ready for bed. But instead, she ended up sitting on the couch and sobbing after she'd washed her face, while her insecurities rose to attack her, now that she was alone and vulnerable again. 

Ten minutes later, after she had finally calmed herself down and was considering making a cup of warm milk tea, there was a knock at her front door. She blinked and looked at the door, got up from the couch to walk over, then peeked out the peephole, her eyes widening when she saw who was knocking. 

"Jungkook? Did you forget something?" She asked as she opened the door. 

"Yes, I did... oh, honey, you were crying? Oh goodness, come here, baby... here, let me shut the door and take off my coat and boots, will you help me?" Jungkook smiled warmly at her, and she nodded her head, then began to help him out of his outerwear. 

"If you forgot something, how come you're taking off your coat?" Candice asked in confusion as she stood back so he could slip out of his footwear. 

"Because what I forgot was that I don't want to go home, I want to spend the night with you, regardless of what time you get up. I can get up when you do and go home and get ready for my classes." Jungkook sat on the couch and pulled her to stand between his legs, his hands automatically sliding around her hips to gently knead her round ass. "Why did you cry, honey?" 

She sniffled and offered Jungkook a rueful smile. "Because I'm a pabo... and because I didn't want you to go home either, but I didn't want to make you feel like I expected you to spend more time with me..." 

Jungkook laughed and gently pulled her onto his lap to snuggle her, his lips wearing a sweet smile as he replied, "Aish, you really are a pabo... and for the record, I didn't want to wear out my welcome; otherwise, I would have insisted on staying." 

Candice blushed and hugged his neck, then sat quietly and enjoyed the warm embrace of the gorgeous man. 

"Mmm... okay, a couple of questions... what time do you usually go to sleep on Sundays, and what time do you get up for your Monday morning class? And, when are you going to put on your adorable, sexy pajamas?" 

"I usually go to sleep by midnight; I have to get up at seven because my class is at eight-thirty, and I need to take a shower first. But before I put on my jammies, I was going to make myself a cup of milk tea... would you like one, too?" She nuzzled her lips against his neck, eliciting a soft rumble from his throat. 

"Hm... how about you take your shower and get ready for bed, then you can make the milk tea while I'm showering so we can both go to sleep squeaky clean? And yes, I would love a cup." He tilted her chin up with his fingertip, then kissed her softly while rubbing his hand along the outside of her leg. 

When he released her, Candice climbed off his lap, went up the ladder to undress and grab her underpants and pajamas, then started climbing back down, although she looked over her shoulder at Jungkook when she heard him begin choking. "Oh gosh, are you okay?" She asked as she jumped the last two rungs and went over to kneel on the couch beside him while patting him on the back. 

Jungkook caught his breath, then looked at her, his pupils enlarging as she watched, and then she realized she'd done as she usually would when she was getting ready to take her shower... meaning, she was fully naked and holding her garments, which she would take with her into the tiny bathroom so she could dress when she was finished with her shower. "Candi..." he growled softly, "are you trying to kill me?" 

Candice quickly covered her front with the clothes and blushed as darkly as he'd seen her, then lowered her gaze shyly. "I'm sorry, Jungkookie... I... I don't feel weird being naked in front of you now, so I didn't think about it when I got undressed... I just did my normal routine..." 

"Oh my god, you... come here..." he said, as he reached toward her and pulled her into his lap. "Mmm... what's this I have here? Ooo, a beautiful girlie... and she's naked as the day she was born! My my, look at this pretty little pussy... and these sweet little titties... and oh, she's wet... mmm... I wonder what that's all about?" He'd tugged her pajamas and panties out of her grip and set them on the couch beside them, then had started gently touching her, his large hand engulfing her breasts one at a time, to softly squeeze, then sliding down between her legs, and rubbing his fingers over her nether lips. "Do I do this to you, baby? Make you needy?" 

Regardless of her inexperience, Candice was interested enough in what Jungkook was doing to her that she didn't try to push his hand away or hide once he'd taken her clothing. His warm touch and sweet tone of voice set the little fire burning in her belly, and she lifted her gaze to his, blinked at him slowly, then whispered, "Uh-huh, you do... Daddy..." 

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

I swear to god if she keeps doing that... she has no idea how much hearing that word in her sweet little voice makes me want to... mmph... cool it, Jungkook, she trusts you enough to sit here and let you touch her, without being bashful... take it slow... 

"Candi-ah... what did I tell you about calling me names like that?" I was rubbing her soft petals, and she spread her legs a bit wider, which caught my attention, so I looked down... god, she's soaked... and swollen... and so, so, so fucking soft... I couldn't stop myself; I pressed the ball of my thumb against her clit, very carefully pressed a fingertip into her tight opening, then looked at her face to gauge her reaction. 

"That I... that I shouldn't... yet... but... I couldn't help it; it just seemed... to fit... oh... oh god... Jungkookie..." Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she leaned her head against my shoulder, then moaned. "I... that feels so good... 

"It's okay this time, honey, but please, don't repeat it until I tell you it's okay, all right? I have a hard enough time with not taking your virginity until you're ready, without you teasing me in the meantime." I felt her start to tense up on my lap, quickly kissed her, and then murmured against her lips. "You're not doing anything wrong, baby... and teasing me isn't a bad thing, I promise. I just don't want to hurt you any more than I have to when it is time, and you will be entirely ready when it is... trust me, honey... I know I'm not a girl, but my mom explained some things to me when I started high school, and I've always tried to remember what she said. And, I don't want to do anything that might mess up what we're starting..." 

I hadn't stopped gently fingering her, only pushing my finger to the first knuckle, then slowly swirling it in a small circle, and Candi was gasping softly. She'd relaxed when I'd spoken, and now she answered my question. "Okay, Jungkookie... I won't call you any nicknames like that until you say it is all right... mmm... you can... you can push your finger a little deeper, I think... I... I um... use... well, when it's that time of the month... you know?" 

At first, I wasn't sure what she was talking about, and then I remembered the little things I'd seen in my sister's bathroom under the sink. "Oh! Oh, okay... I'll still be careful, though, and you tell me if you need me to slow down or stop... my goodness, you are hot inside..." I slid my finger deeper, to the second knuckle, then began to stroke it in and out of her tenderly, holding her close while I alternately watched the expressions crossing her beautiful face, then my finger sliding in and out of her sweet puss. 

Candi gripped the front of my sweatshirt tightly and bit her lip, which automatically made my dick throb under her butt through my sweatpants. She giggled and squirmed a little bit, rubbing her plush rump against my aching length, and I groaned, squeezed her more tightly to my chest, then fingered her more insistently until she squealed and climaxed. I could feel her internal muscles squeezing my finger, and I licked my lips, swallowed, and slowed, then stopped once she quieted. 

"Did you like that, baby?" I whispered to her as she recovered, and she peeped open her brilliant green eyes, slow-blinked at me, then nodded her head. She claimed she wasn't shy around me any longer, but the way she was looking at me now, with a pretty blush coloring her cheeks and the sweet, bashful smile curving her lips, I knew it would be quite a while before she was completely comfortable with me doing things like this to her. I hoped she wouldn't get over the demureness, as it was awfully damned cute. "Good, I'm glad... now, you should take your shower and get ready for bed, or we'll end up sitting here until your alarm goes off tomorrow morning." I grinned at her and wiggled my eyebrows; she giggled, hugged me, and kissed my cheek, then I helped her off my lap. 

She looked at me before she went into the bathroom, and I lifted my hand and licked the finger I'd had inside her, causing her to blush darker and bite her lip. "Candi-ah... take your shower..." I murmured to her. 

**_Candice's POV_ **

I don't know what it is about his voice, but when Jungkook tells me to do something, I get this feeling inside. I haven't felt it with anyone else, and it's not precisely sexual – at least, now that I know what it feels like when I'm 'needy' or having a climax, I think it isn't. Then again, maybe it is just a different kind of sexual. Except... I don't know; it's like... it's like part of me wants him to tell me what to do... like... to actually kind of father me. Heh, I know, creepy, right? 

I sort of remember my therapist telling me I would respond to that kind of treatment because I hadn't had much of it growing up, so... I guess it's like I'm looking for the structure I didn't have back then. I do remember she had me write some of what she said in a journal after I had thought about it so that I could process the information, but I haven't read it in ages – it all seems so long ago, but it has only been a few years since I last saw her. I should probably find it again and read what I wrote. 

I started seeing her when I entered high school. From what my parents said, they'd been contacted by the school administrator about my behavior – I was a straight-A student, but I was also hell on wheels. I'm not entirely sure how I managed to do the things I did and still do all of my homework, get excellent grades, not get expelled, and stay a somewhat naïve virgin to boot, but... well, I guess that's part of the dichotomy of me. My rebellion mostly consisted of being snotty to my teachers – well, unless they were one of my favorites, like Mrs. Oong. She was my biology teacher for two years because she taught regular classes and an advanced level, which I took in my senior year. Actually, I was not too fond of biology, but I loved Mrs. Oong – sometimes I would pretend she was my real mom – so I forced myself to concentrate and do well, which made her think I was pretty nifty, too. 

The other teachers? Bleh. Not that they were terrible – well, not most of them anyway – but I just didn't care enough to want to like them. The only other teacher I enjoyed being around was Mister Viuu; he was my dance teacher. He's a little different from Jimin – he's taller and bigger and has dark hair, but their bodies move similarly; it's truly magical to watch them. He was the one who encouraged me to work hard for the scholarship because he said I had 'an innate gracefulness that would lend itself perfectly to the art of dance'... did I mention he was also drool-worthy? No? Well, he was. He was almost as good looking as Jungkook. Not quite, but close enough that my high school self developed a major crush on him. 

Luckily, I was never brave enough to try to flirt with him when I first joined his class, and it turned out to be a good thing since I found out that he was married. And his wife was amazing. I mean, I'm serious, I met her. She was everything you'd expect in the wife of a gorgeous dance teacher – beautiful, lithe, and friendly... at first, I hated her because of my stupid crush, but he took pity on me and my home situation, so they started inviting me to dinner at their house on Friday nights; and once I got to know her, she became like my favorite auntie. It was pretty cool since both Mrs. Oong and Mrs. Viuu were open to me asking personal female questions, and they explained a lot of the things that were happening to my body since my mom was never around enough for me to feel comfortable to ask her. 

Anyway, so the whole point of all of this was to explain why I think Jungkook's 'commanding' voice affects me as it does. I mean, it doesn't work every time, obviously – hence my continued reticence to show him my closet, but at other times I am perfectly fine with jumping when he said jump. Like when he told me to take my shower. 

Is it weird that I've only known him for two days, and it's happening? Well, no weirder than it happening the first day we met. So, yeah, weird. Oh well, I guess it will be nice to have someone who cares enough for me to keep me in line... hah... geez, it totally sounds like he's my guardian, and I don't even need one. Or do I?


	16. Telling Candi's friends

**_Narrator's POV_ **

Jungkook chuckled when Candice hurried into the bathroom and closed the door, and he turned on the tv once he heard the shower start. He'd checked the time, noted it was just after ten o'clock, then did a secret happy dance when he realized that meant he'd have a little more than an hour and a half to snuggle the cutie currently naked in the shower before they had to sleep. Of course, thinking of her in the shower in her birthday suit caused his cock to throb in his pants again, and he groaned, reached inside them, and slowly stroked himself. "Jungkook... get it together, man, you cannot jack off every time you think of that gorgeous creature's nude body... you'll never get anything else done!" 

A short while later, Candice came out of the bathroom in her PJs, fluffy pink robe, and gray elephant slippers, and Jungkook started laughing. "Oh my god! Why have I not seen the robe and slippers?? Where did you hide them??!!" 

Candice stopped in front of the couch and looked down at herself, giggling as she wiggled her toes inside the slippers and the elephant's trunks waggled. "My robe was on the back of the bathroom door, and my slippers were next to the sink; I don't know how you missed them. They match my PJs, see?" She opened the robe and showed him her pajamas. "Pink and gray!" 

Suddenly, Jungkook reached out, grabbed the waistband of her bottoms, then yanked them down to her knees, pulled on her wrist and dragged her over his lap, pushed her robe up to her waist, and started rubbing her bare bottom. "Candi-ah... jesu..." He lifted his hand and slapped her bottom, hard enough to bring an immediate sting, then rubbed it some more. 

She was so surprised by his action; she didn't react at first until she felt the warmth rise in her butt after he'd smacked her. "Ouch!" She kicked her legs slightly, then propped herself on her elbows on the couch seat and looked over her shoulder at him. "What was that for??" 

Jungkook looked at her, and Candice gulped when she saw the dark look on his face. "Because I wanted to because you make me want to do bad things to you... naughty girl..." He held her gaze, raised his hand, and slapped her again, harder, causing her body to jolt forward and bringing another cry from her lips. 

"Ow!! But... but I haven't been naughty!!" She blinked her big green eyes at him, entirely nonplussed about the current happenings and unsure of just what to think about them. 

"Oh, but Candi-ah... babygirl... you've been naughty all weekend... sweet little thing... mmm... and you might be protesting, but your wet little pussy is telling me not to stop..." He lifted his hand and swatted her again, harder still, and she yelped. 

"OUCH!" Candice reached back to rub her bottom, but Jungkook grabbed her wrist and held it in the small of her back. 

"Oh, no, baby... no reaching back to rub when you're getting a spanking, that's one of the rules..." He continued to rub her cheeks in between the smacks, and Candice's body was completely confused about whether to like what he was doing or not. Well, her brain was confused. Her body was doing exactly what he had said and drooling a bit of her moisture onto his sweatpants. "Do you want more, baby?" Jungkook's voice was milk and honey, and Candice found herself responding to the deep tone. 

"Y-Yes... please... D-Daddy..." She blanched when the word popped out of her mouth and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that... this just... it's... I mean..." 

Her sudden apology broke the spell, and Jungkook quickly lifted her from his legs, then sat her on his lap, wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her gently while offering her sweet little kisses. "No apology is necessary, sweetness, I know what you meant. And maybe we should have a little talk about it when I get out of the shower, and we're drinking our tea, hm? I don't want there to be any accidental misunderstanding when we're doing something like that again." 

Candice was confused about the sudden shift in Jungkook's aura, but she nodded her head, then smiled sweetly at him after he captured her mouth with his and gave her a long, passionate, loving kiss. 

"Mmm, what a cutie you are... I'll go take my shower now, and you can make the tea. I won't take very long." He helped her stand up, then pulled up her panties and pajama bottoms. "Is this the robe you mentioned me wearing?" He stood up beside her and watched as she closed the robe and tied the belt. 

"Uh-huh..." she answered, then took a couple of steps back and looked at him from head to toe and back again, then started to giggle. "Oh my gosh, if you wore it... hahaha... you wouldn't be able to close it all the way, and it would barely cover the upper part of your thighs... I would definitely have to take a picture of that..." 

He lifted an eyebrow and grinned at her, then reached out to pull her close to him. "You are very silly, but... I might actually wear it for you so that you could do that... we'll see." He nuzzled her forehead, then released her and walked into the bathroom. "Okay, I'll be out in a few minutes." 

"Okay," Candice replied, then went to the kitchen to prepare their tea. She also set a small plate with an assortment of cookies on the table, then sat on a chair and started to scroll through her phone. "Oh crap!" She exclaimed to herself, then quickly texted her friends. 

Candice: Hi, guys!! 😁😇

Lisa: Candi-ah!!! Where have you been? We've been worried!!! 😟

Jennie: Yah!! Are you okay?? 😮

Candice: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!! I meant to text you yesterday, but I've been so busy! 🏃‍♀️

Lisa: Busy with homework? 📖📄

Candice: Um... no... 😊

Jennie: Well, what then?? We tried to get hold of you a bunch of times since Friday when you... well, you know... 😿

Candice: Yeah, I know... I can't wait to tell you guys everything, but it's too involved to do it in a text, and well... I'd call and tell you, except... I'm not alone... 😅

Lisa: What do you mean you're not alone?! Are you at home?? 🏠

Jennie: I know Tae isn't with you cuz he's with me... have you been hanging out with one of our other friends? 🧑👧

Candice: Uh... no... it's... I mean, he's... no-one we hang out with... 😁

Lisa/Jennie: … 

Lisa: YOU HAVE BEEN HANGING OUT WITH A GUY WE DON'T KNOW ALL WEEKEND??? 😮

Jennie: WHAT??!!!! WHO IS IT???!!! 🤔🤔🤔

Candice: (facepalm emoji) Oh my god, you guys, it's not like I'm a nun or something... 🙄

Lisa: No, seriously, you really are... but stop trying to change the subject... who is it?!! Do we know him??? How'd you meet him? What have you been doing?? Oh my god, you didn't have sex, did you??!!! You don't even know the guy!! Or do you? 👅

Jennie: I'm so confused... you had sex? 😮

Candice: NO, I DIDN'T HAVE SEX!!! Aish!! Okay, I'll give you a little info now and fill you in on the full details tomorrow at lunch. So, his name is Jeon Jungkook, he's a professor at the university, he knows Park Jimin, and he found me in front of the pet cemetery on Friday. And, we've been together ever since... 😁

Lisa/Jennie: … 

Lisa added Yoongi to the chat. 

Jennie added Taehyung to the chat. 

Lisa added Eunwoo to the chat. 

Taehyung added Hobi to the chat. 

Hobi added Momo to the chat. 

Lisa added Namjoon to the chat. 

Namjoon added Jin to the chat. 

Lisa: Okay, tell everyone what you just said... 😜

Candice: <copy/paste> Okay, I'll give you a little info now and fill you in on the full details tomorrow at lunch. So, his name is Jeon Jungkook, he's a professor at the university, he knows Park Jimin, and he found me in front of the pet cemetery on Friday. And, we've been together ever since... 🙂

Collective … 

Momo: OHMYGOD, YOU MET JEON JUNGKOOK AND YOU'VE SPENT THE WEEKEND WITH HIM??!!! I hate you. 😮😮😮🤬🤬🤬

Yoongi: Wait, Momo, why would you know who Jeon Jungkook is, anyway? And why would you be mad at Candi for spending the weekend with him??!! You're my girlfriend!!! 🙄🙄🙄

Momo: Sorry, I was kidding, I don't really hate her, and yes, I love your face to death, Yoongles... but Jeon Jungkook is one of the most gorgeous professors on campus! He and Mr. Park are close friends, and when the two of them are together, it's said they can melt ice just by being near it; they're so hot. 💦💦💦

Candice: Not gonna disagree; he is pretty freaking amazing... and he's nice!! You'd think someone that good looking would be a dick, but nope... 🤗

Suddenly, Candice screamed when Jungkook took her phone from her hand. 

"Who are you texting, baby?" Jungkook asked as he looked at the screen, his eyes widening when he saw the conversation. "Oh, I am, am I?" He looked at her and raised a single eyebrow, and Candice blushed. 

"Um... my friends have been trying to contact me all weekend, and I kept meaning to text them back, except I kept getting sidetracked, so just now, I thought I'd catch them up with what's been going on... sorry about that... I hope it was okay I told them? If not, they're good at keeping quiet about important stuff... 

Jungkook grinned and handed Candice her phone. "It's perfectly fine... in fact, I want everyone to know, so there isn't anyone thinking they have a chance with you... is the tea ready? Oh, the cookies look delicious!" Candice sat there for a long minute and just stared at Jungkook until he realized she wasn't replying or moving. "Honey, are you all right?" He sat down across from her and gently brushed his fingertips along her jaw. "Have you gone on another little trip in your head, baby?" 

She blinked, blushed more darkly, then shook her head. "No, I'm here, I just... you said that so nonchalantly, like... like you and I are already an item... I mean, I like the idea, but... are you sure? We don't even know each other that well... and I wasn't kidding when I said I could be difficult, even though I try not to be..." She looked at her phone when another notification popped up, as her friends had been texting and getting worried when she'd stopped replying. "Oh, let me answer them and tell them goodnight..." 

"All right," Jungkook replied, then sat back to watch, his eyebrows rising as Candice got up and came to sit on his lap. 

"Here, now you can see what I'm typing," she said softly as he placed his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. She set her elbows on the table and held the phone, so they could both read it. 

Candice: Sorry about that, you guys; Jungkook got out of the shower and asked who I was texting... 😁

Momo: OHMYGOD JEON JUNGKOOK IS TAKING A SHOWER AT YOUR APARTMENT??!!!!! I'M COMING OVER! 🚿🏃‍♀️

Yoongi: HEY! 😡😤

Momo: Oh, sorry, no I'm not coming over, sorry about that, Yoongi-ah... um... okay, well... have fun, Candi, talk to you tomorrow, I think it's time for us to go to bed... 🤭

Yoongi: Yes, and you are in so much trouble... goodnight everyone, I can't wait to hear all about what happened, Candi, have a good rest of your night!! ✋✋✋✋

Momo has left the chat. 

Yoongi has left the chat. 

Lisa: Wait, he took a shower at your place? In your teeny tiny little bathtub? How the heck did he even fit in there, he's so tall!!! 🛀

Candice: Hahaha, I have no idea, I didn't watch, but it was obviously okay because this is the second one he's taken here. 🚿🚿

Jennie: The second one??!!! Are you sure you haven't been having sex all weekend??? 😅😅😅😅

Candice facepalmed herself when Jungkook started laughing. 

Candice: Oh my god, Jennie, no, I have not!!! Aish!!!!! Look, you guys, I'm okay, and I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. But now, I'm going to turn off my phone, and Jungkook and I will have some warm tea and cookies and then go to bed. AND NO, THERE WILL BE NO SEX!!!! 🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞

Jungkook was about dying by this point, and Candice elbowed him gently in the side. "Shut up; I can't help it if my friends are nosey..." 

Jungkook snickered and poked her gently in the ribs. "I don't mind, and I'm glad you told me that they don't exclude you from things; otherwise, I would have been yelling at them on your behalf..." 

Lisa: Okay, talk to you tomorrow, Candi-ah. Love you! 💖💖💖💖

Jennie: Goodnight, Candi baby! 💗💗💗💗

After saying goodnight, the other friends left the chat, and Candice turned her phone off. 

"Let me finish the tea, the water is hot now... and I made the cookies... sometimes, the smell of baking would... well, it seemed to comfort Peanut... it probably didn't, but she always seemed calmer when I was doing it..." She started to get off Jungkook's lap, then stopped. "Oh... oh god... Jungkookie... oh..." 

Jungkook quickly turned her to face him and wrapped her in a hug as she pressed her face against the hollow of his neck and started to wail. "Shh, baby, it's all right, I'm here... oh honey... shhhhh... you're okay... shhh... I got you, sweetness... sweet girl... I'm so sorry you're hurting... my poor, sweet girl... shhhh..." 

Candice eventually calmed down enough to blow her nose and wash her face, then she poured two mugs of milk tea for the two of them, and they sat at the little table.


	17. A little discussion

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

I realize Candi has two chairs at her little table, but... well, I like it better when she sits on my lap. And I'd convinced her to turn the heat up – I somehow managed to get her to allow me to pay her electricity bill – so I was wearing my clean tee-shirt and underpants (she'd insisted on washing my clothes since we stayed in all day), and she was wearing her cute, sexy little pajamas, and I had her perched on my lap. 

She told me how she'd met her friends, what type of personalities they had, who was dating whom, and who was likely to start dating at some point. I laughed when she told me about Lisa and Eunwoo and their constant bickering because they refused to admit they liked each other. I laughed harder when she told me that the rest of the group had a bet about how many kids they'd end up having once they finally got around to getting together. 

I ate almost the entire plate of cookies by myself, although I did feed her bites when she'd open her mouth and say 'ah,' which caused both of us to giggle, and I told her that I wanted her to bake me cookies every week, along with making me breakfast every day. She rolled her eyes and blushed, which made me smile, as I was happy to be able to lighten her sad mood. 

Eventually, I decided it was time to chat with her about my little obsession with spanking her plump butt. 

"Baby?" I murmured softly to her after we'd finished our tea and were just sitting at the table and snuggling on the chair before we went up to bed. She'd stood up and changed positions, and now she was straddling my legs with her arms around my neck, and we'd been exchanging sweet kisses. 

"Yes, Jungkookie?" She replied, then leaned back to look at me while she waited for me to say more. 

"Let's talk a little bit about my spanking kink, hm?" Of course, I couldn't talk about it without squeezing her plush cheeks, and she gasped softly, then blushed and nodded her head. 

"O-Okay," she whispered, suddenly intensely shy. 

She tried to lower her head, but I tucked my fingertip under her chin and kept her eyes on mine. "I want you to try to keep looking at me while we do, baby... I need to make sure you aren't getting scared, okay?" 

I could feel her trembling, but she nodded her head, even as the blush on her face darkened. "Okay... Jungkookie... I'll try... 

I smiled reassuringly at her and kissed her sweet lips, then started to stand up, my hands cupping her bottom cheeks so I could lift her with me. "I think this will be easier on the couch; that chair isn't very comfortable." 

Candice giggled and slid her arms around my neck when I stood up, her legs automatically wrapping around my hips. "Why'd you have me sit on your lap that whole time, then? You're very silly, Mister Jeon." 

I squeezed her butt and sat on the couch, grinning as she extracted her legs from behind my back, then straddled my legs before snugging herself against me. "I can be silly, yes, especially when it's with a cute girl named Candi..." I kissed her gently again, then squeezed her cheeks and licked my lips. "Your bottom is so perfect, baby... everything about you is perfect, even your imperfections, if you have any..." 

She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Aish, you sound like one of the K-Dramas one of my minders used to watch... such awful pick-up lines and Dad jokes..." 

I chuckled and nodded my head. "My auntie liked watching them too, and since we spent time with her in the summer, I think I absorbed some of it, even if I didn't watch them on purpose. Jimin always yells at me when I say something ridiculous to him, too..." 

Candice grinned, then looked at me seriously, her blush having disappeared while she wasn't thinking of the subject we were going to discuss. Now, I could see the faint pink of shyness coloring her features again, and I smiled. She didn't say anything, so I began. 

"In case you haven't figured it out, I like to spank round, plump bottoms... although I should qualify that statement by saying I haven't done it to many people... well, actually, there's only been one person. I've noticed other bottoms that would be perfect for it, but I've never been all that interested in the people they were attached to, except for that one... and now, yours... and it seems like you are somewhat intrigued by the idea of it, and even like the feeling of it, a little bit, ne?" 

She slow-blinked but managed to keep her beautiful green eyes locked with mine, then nodded her head very minutely, but she didn't speak. 

Okay, so I'll be doing most of the speaking... that's fine. 

"I'm going to ask you some questions, honey, and if you feel uncomfortable, you can tell me, and we'll stop talking about this... at least for now. We will need to discuss it at some point before we go too much further, so I don't accidentally do something you don't want, all right?" 

"All right, Jungkookie..." She offered me a sweet little smile, and I swear to god, my heart did pirouettes in my chest. How the fuck has this happened? I've only known this girl for a couple of days, and I would absolutely give my life for her, the same as I would for Jimin... how is this even possible? 

"First question, baby... were you spanked while you were growing up? I know it isn't allowed in schools, but what about your parents or any of your minders?" I rubbed her butt gently, and she sighed softly, then blinked at me, which sent interesting little twitches to my cock. 

Candi shook her head but could not retain eye contact and instead lowered her eyes to stare at my tee-shirt while she plucked at it absently with her fingers. 

Oh my god, she is just so fucking cute. 

"Did anyone ever smack your butt as a joke? Or did your school friends give you any 'birthday' spankings?" 

She shook her head again, then slowly started to move off my lap. I tilted my head curiously and removed my hands from her cheeks, although I didn't speak, as it seemed if I did, I'd break some sort of spell. She was moving so deliberately; I knew she had something in mind; I just wasn't sure what. Until she knelt beside me on the couch, pushed her bottoms and panties down to her thighs, then lay over my lap, so her bare bottom was RIGHT. FUCKING. THERE. 

Fuck. 

Well, I'm no dummy, and when given an opportunity, I take it, so... I slid one of my hands under her chest and cupped her breast, then slowly began to rub her naked skin while my dick came alive in my boxers and created a tent, that quickly developed a wet spot at the tip. "Jesu, Candi-ah... you have one of the prettiest bottoms I've ever seen." I squeezed each cheek gently, then lightly tickled my fingers between her legs, smiling when I felt how damp she was. "Does talking about this make you needy, baby?" 

She had folded her arms under her head and turned her face toward me so that I could see her expressions, including the beautiful blush coloring her flesh. "Just being around you makes me needy, Jungkookie... I didn't know what it was at first, but... well, I've been... uh... 'needy'... since the minute our eyes met on the street Friday... you are... so gorgeous... and then you were so nice... and... everything has been... amazing..." 

I chuckled softly and continued to rub her behind as I nodded my head. "I agree, although I think you're the gorgeous one. So... birthday spankings? Or just a swat as a joke?" I lifted my hand as though I was going to smack her, and I felt her body respond, my eyes widening as I watched her push her knees into the couch cushion beside my thigh and arch her back to lift her sweet backside into the perfect position for the slap. Jesu. 

I refrained from following through, as I'd only done that to test her reaction, and instead, I rested my hand on her butt and started fondling it again. I swear she gave me a disappointed look, but it came and went so quickly, I am still not positive I saw it. 

"Nope," she replied to my questions. As I rubbed her, she spread her legs a bit wider and wiggled around until it was easy for me to tease my fingertips over her swollen petals, and I started to forget what I had wanted to talk to her about until she cleared her throat. "Was that all you wanted to know..." she paused for long enough that I could tell she was contemplating whether she should push the Daddy button or not, but instead, she finally said, "Jungkookie?" 

I didn't know whether I was relieved or disappointed. 

"You said that you'd looked at videos of sex on the internet to find out more about it. Did you ever do that with any kinky things, like spanking?" My cock was so hard it ached, and every time I squeezed one of Candi's buttocks, it throbbed. I was going to have to take care of my problem before we went to bed, or I wouldn't be able to sleep. 

"Hm..." Candi hummed, her brows furrowing in concentration as she thought about it. "Well, it has been a while since I've searched online, but I think I remember there were a couple that started with spanking, then ended with sex... but I couldn't decide if it was real or not, because the girl was usually dressed like someone in secondary school... which seemed weird to me." She bit her bottom lip, I nearly stuffed my finger in her pussy, and then she whispered, "It did kinda make me feel funny..." 

Gulp. 

"F-Funny, how?" I mentally facepalmed myself when I stuttered – you'd think I was a virgin myself, as nervous as I was right now. Well, not so much nervous, as fighting my instinct to turn her sweet cheeks a bright shade of pink. 

And then, she giggled at my stutter, I lost control and swatted her hard, she yelped, and I waited for her to jump off my lap and kick me out of her apartment while I watched my handprint bloom on one side of her ass. My dick was having a field day, jumping around inside my shorts and leaving a trail of precum all over. Damn. 

I know I held my breath while I waited for her to react since I started to see stars a bit when my oxygen began to deplete. I let it all out in a huge exhale; my mouth dropped open in shock when she very, very quietly whispered... 

"Again...?" 

**_Candice's POV_ **

I don't know why I did it... why I bared my ass and lay over Jungkook's lap like that. It just seemed like the thing to do since we were discussing spanking. I mean... maybe it wasn't, and I'm sure he thought I was the biggest hussy ever, but he never acted like he thought I was overstepping my bounds. In fact, he seemed perfectly content to caress my butt and tickle my pussy. Which was fine by me. 

I answered his questions, then started remembering that video I told him about... I vaguely remember it was pretty badly made – like, the 'schoolroom' was obviously just a movie set, and not a well-made one, at that, since one of the walls would wiggle whenever the man would smack the girl's butt. Plus, as much as they tried to make it look like she was a schoolgirl, there was no way it was possible – she had to be old enough to be my mother. Still... as I lay over Jungkook's lap and thought about it, I put myself in that woman's place, set him as the 'teacher,' and damn... 

Which is when I said that it made me feel funny, because... it wasn't the video that did it, it was the vision in my head of Jungkook and me doing it... and when he stuttered, it struck me as hilarious, because hello, I could feel his cock throbbing against my hip. I couldn't help myself; I giggled... and he spanked me. Hard. It hurt. It made my pussy quiver. It made this slow burn start in my stomach, and I got that feeling of having to pee, although I didn't think that was the case since we hadn't had our tea that long ago, so it wouldn't have gone through my system yet. 

What else could it be that made me feel that way, except for his hand connecting with my butt? 

"Again...?" I whispered nearly silently, then waited for his reply. Which came in the form of another hard swat to my other cheek that pushed my body forward on his legs, sent a message to my brain that it hurt so danged good, and I could feel my body moving as I had earlier when I'd felt his hand lift, placing my cheeks in what I hoped was the perfect position for him to spank me again. 

And he did. Until I was gasping and tears were standing in my eyes... and I was so aroused, I was panting and trying to rub myself against the side of his thigh in between swats. I know my backside was turning red, and I'm pretty sure the blush on my face was matching it when he suddenly stopped smacking me to push his thumb into my pussy and tickle my clit with his fingertip. 

I screamed, climaxed, then screamed louder when he spanked me again, a few more times, even harder until I was honestly crying, then he did the thing with his thumb and finger again, I had another orgasm and nearly passed out. 

While I was still mostly delirious, I felt Jungkook removing my pajamas and panties, then vaguely noted he was rolling me onto my back, burying his face between my thighs, and licking and kissing me like it was his job... and while he did that, I felt him brush his tongue over my... well... that other place... and then he stuck it up there, and I squealed, thinking that was the weirdest thing ever, but oh my god, it felt amazing... he made me cum again by doing that while tickling my button, then he was hovering over me, with his thick tip pressing carefully against the opening of my puss... 

I was too blissed out to be afraid or nervous, my ass was on fire, and the transfer of the stinging heat into desire in my belly was making me needier than I'd ever thought possible, and I begged him to take my virginity. 

But he didn't. 

**_Jungkook's POV_ **

What the hell just happened; how did I end up like this? With Candi squirming beneath me and begging me to make love to her... to be her first? I mean, I know how it happened, but fuck, I have NEVER been this close to throwing all caution to the wind... yes, it's been close a few times with her over the weekend, but... god, I want to take her... I want to feel her tight pussy wrapped around my cock, hear her soft cries as I bring her even more pleasure than I already have... I want to bury myself inside her and fill her with my seed... except I don't think she's on the pill, and I'm not wearing a condom... and I doubt she'd be thrilled if I got her pregnant... I wouldn't be all that upset, but it would put a severe damper on her dancing career. 

Plus, since Jimin and I had regular, unprotected sex – and even though both of us were only having sex with each other, and Candice said she's a virgin... I still want to get all of us tested to make sure there aren't any weird STDs hanging around. I don't think there will be, but better to be safe than sorry, and god, I hope neither of them is offended when I ask. I mean, I'll get tested too, it just... well, I know what it might seem like, so I'll just have to try to be as upfront about it as possible, and... well, we'll handle that when it happens. 

In the meantime, I very carefully pulled back while watching her face, and her gorgeous green eyes opened wide while her mouth pulled into a confused frown. "Wae...?" Candi asked, her voice tight with sudden apprehension, which I hadn't wanted her to feel at all. 

"Hush, baby... I don't want to go all the way yet; I want to spend a lot longer getting you ready before we do... but I do want you to roll over, so I can rub my dick between your cheeks... that will feel really good for both of us, and if you're a very good girl, I'll paint your cheeks with my cum..." 

I waited and watched her face, hoping for a positive response to my words, and was rewarded with a sweet, bashful smile, along with another pretty blush and that adorable slow-blink of her precious green eyes. "Oh... okay, Kookie-ah..." 

She rolled over onto her belly, and I winced when I saw how red her bottom was – she would definitely feel that tomorrow while she was sitting down, but from the way she stuffed her fists under her hips and lifted herself off the couch a bit, so I could do what I'd said, it was apparent she was enjoying the ache of her first real spanking. And I hadn't even told her everything, yet... well, there would be time for that as we grew to know each other better. 

For now, I was going to enjoy the treat she was offering me, then I would take her to bed and spend all day tomorrow daydreaming about her. Jesu, she's perfect.

 _ **Narrator's POV**_

Once Jungkook had done what he'd said, Candice went in the bathroom to clean up while he washed the mugs and cookie dish, then the two of them went up to the loft to sleep. The next morning, they raced around while she got ready for school, then made a quick breakfast before they went out to Jungkook's car. He dropped her off at school, then headed home to shower, change, and get ready for his day.


End file.
